Dealing with Industry Partners
Presented by
Liz Visher, Director, Programme Partnerships
Australian Research Council
and
Louise Fleck, Macquarie University
Veena Sahajwalla, The University of NSW
The Policy Context
• Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda
• Boosting the Commercial Returns from Research
Strategy
• New research priorities and industry growth centres
• Understanding and conveying Research Impact
• Reducing red tape vs baseline accountability
• The international context…
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Australian Government support for
science, research and innovation
shown in red
2014–15 Federal Budget
(Approx. AU$415 billion)
(Treasury omitted)
Commonwealth Investment in R&D 2015–16 (%)
Energy and the
Rural
CRCs
Environment
3.14%
3.74%
Other Health 1.51%
Other R&D
2.10%
0.60%
CSIRO
7.72%
DSTO
4.45%
ARC
8.07%
Higher Education
R&D
0.44%
Block Funding
20.55%
Business
Innovation
2.65%
Industry R&D Tax
Measures
29.91%
NHMRC
8.71%
Australian
Government R&D
6.43%
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
OECD 2013b—firms collaborating on innovation with
higher education and public research institutions
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Sources of ideas or information for innovation-active
Australian firms
Australian Innovation System report 2011, Chapter 4
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
ARC—working with industry
• So what really is the intent of Linkage?
• What dealings does the ARC have with industry
in Pre- and Post-award?
• The scale of ARC investments—encouraging
industry to collaborate (one to many participants)
• An business appetite for collaboration, risk and
innovation?
• Partnerships types—differing strategies
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Partner Organisation types for LP14, LP15, IH14, IC14, IC15
1200
1092
1000
Number of each PO type
800
753
600
472
400
296
226
200
132
140
33
52
0
Australian
Company Industry
Body
Australian Non
Profit
Commonwealth
Government
Higher Education
International
International
Company Industry
Body
International
Government
International Non
Profit
Other
State and Local
Government
Variation types
Total
Addition of Partner Investigator(s)
15
Addition of Partner Organisation
15
Addition of Partner Organisation and Partner Investigator(s)
13
Change of Partner Investigator(s)
86
Change of Partner Organisation
57
Change of Partner Organisation and addition of Partner Investigator(s)
Change of Partner Organisation and Partner Investigator(s)
Change of Partner Organisation and Removal of Partner Investigator(s)
5
25
4
Removal of Partner Investigator(s)
25
Removal of Partner Organisation
40
Removal of Partner Organisation and change of Partner Investigator(s)
Removal of Partner Organisation and Partner Investigator(s)
Overall Total of PO/PI changes
1
20
306
38% of VFAs are related to Linkage Projects and ITRP
(January 2013 to July 2015)
61% of all relinquishments and terminations of LP projects were
related to Partner Organisations not meeting their contributions
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
VFA’s submitted January 2013 to July 2015—
by discipline
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Partner Organisations
• are unable to meet their cash-contributions. This is being
reported to the ARC before, during and after the Project has been
completed
• are dissatisfied with the level of collaboration and inclusion in
the Project. This is reported to the ARC both via the Research Office
and from Partner Orgs
• have relationships which break down due to poor ongoing
engagement and management with researchers.
• Have IP disagreements, don’t understand that the project
commencement is deferred because of long contract negotiations,
and also have trouble understanding how student placements work
with ITRP
• refuse to complete final reports because the university spent the
ARC funds first but the research project is still continuing with PO
funds
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Partner Organisations
Say Linkage provides:
• A long-term professional relationship—the contacts and ongoing
relationships developed through the project often led to other projects
or the ability to discuss issues and keep in contact: this was highly
valuable to each party
• Important research outcomes—these included new knowledge or
solving particular problems through the research project(s)
• Building capacity—training and developing skills was an important
factor identified by universities and their academic staff. Student
placements are beneficial as potential new recruits or emerging
researchers that know industry issues very well
• Better connected and leveraged research capability—the projects
brought together different expertise, knowledge and /or resources that
would not have been available to the individual parties involved
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Partner Organisation participation
Linkage Projects scheme
60%
New Business-Funded
Repeat Business-Funded
Repeat Business-All
New Business-All
% of Total Cohort
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Funding Year
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
2008
2009
Partner Organisation Views: Why use LP Scheme?
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Some questions
• What could ARC do to improve collaboration? (Pre
and Post award)
• What could Research Offices do to better facilitate
collaboration?
• What can researchers do to improve engagement
with existing and new industries?
• What could industry do to engage with the research
sector? Commissioned services versus research
outcomes
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Other perspectives
• Research Office Industry Working Group—early
findings of survey work
- Louise Fleck, Director, Research Office, Macquarie
University
• An ITRP director’s perspective
- ARC Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor Veena
Sahajwalla, The University of NSW
Web: arc.gov.au I Email: [email protected]
Thank You