Want more on collaboration?

A lot of resources about collaboration between different sectors already exist including a range of detailed reports, government resources, dedicated organisations, and popular articles. This is a collection of resources about collaboration which you might find useful. Please let us know of other resources you come across, so we can add them here too.

Government resources

• Local collaboration and innovation provides a collection of resources from the Australian Government which support business to build partnerships with research.
• IP Australia’s IP Toolkit for collaboration simplifies the management of intellectual property in collaborations. It is currently being updated and transformed to a more user friendly resource.

Popular articles

• The cost of collaboration: more than budgeted for? By Michael Charles & Robyn Keast (2017).
• Engineering a collaborative culture by Engineers Australia (2016).
• How to measure collaborative research excellence? Coming to grips with the national innovation and science agenda by Michael Charles & Robyn Keast (2016).
• Bridging the collaboration gap between industry and academia by Engineers Australia (2015).
• Academia & Industry – Negotiating the cultural divide by Engineers Australia (2014).
• Building effective collaboration between government and academia: Putting the role of evidence-based policymaking into a more realistic context by Mark Matthews (2013) A keynote speech given at a workshop organized by the Australian Government Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet entitled Improving collaboration between the Australian Public Service and Researchers. 13th June 2013 held at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.
• Reaping the benefits of a government job by Emma Hitt (2009) in Science Careers.

Organisations

• Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia is the ‘peak body leading best practice in industry engagement, commercialisation and entrepreneurship for research organisations’.
• The Australian Technology Network Industry Doctoral Training Centre pairs students’ PhD research with work in the industry. Research under the program originates in the industry, as opposed to academia, and candidates spend their time doing their PhD while working at the industry partner site. Students are also given professional development components which teach them technical and executive leadership skills.
• Australian Association for Unmanned Systems is an industry advocacy group. One of their focuses is facilitating collaboration between industry, academia, government and defence.

• Industry Growth Centres are government funded not for profit organisations which aim to drive innovation, productivity and competitiveness in six sectors:
  • National Energy Resources Australia
  • Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre Ltd (AMGC)
  • Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL)
  • Medical technologies and Pharmaceuticals - MTPConnect 
  • Mining Equipment, Technology and Services - METS Ignited 
  • Australian Cyber Security Growth Network (ACSGN).
• Rapid Prototyping, Development and Evaluation (RPDE) program and Defence Innovation Hub is a collaboration between defence, industry and academia.
• Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) connects experts in academia and industry with motivated PhD students.
• Vitae Researcher Development Framework Planner allows individual and organisations to map out professional development.
• gemaker connects Australian researchers, inventors, startups and SMEs to funding, industry partners and customers. It also offers valuable insights for researchers in areas of interest, such as its series ‘Research-industry collaboration: a bridge building guide for both sides’ which provides considerations on how to:
  • Develop a culture and practices that promote partnership
  • Build a strong foundation for your partnership
  • Manage risk
  • Use your teams to best effect
  • Measure your impact

Reports

• Review of Australia’s Research Training System by Australian Council of Learned Academies (2016). Undertaken to ensure that Australia’s research training models are best practice, the report includes recommendations on industry training opportunities and transferable skills during higher degree training.
• Impact of private sector involvement in ACIAR projects by David Pearce for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (2016). This report provides a broad framework for thinking through the potential impacts of private sector engagement.
• Australia’s STEM workforce, a detailed analysis of Australia’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) trained workforce. (2016) Office of the Chief Scientist.
• Communique: Building productive industry-university collaboration in ICT  based on a forum to chart the future for Australian ICT education, convened by the Office of the Chief Scientist 21 April 2016.
• The Joint Select Committee on Trade and Investment Growth report Inquiry into Australia’s Future in Research and Innovation, into how the research and innovation sector can better assist in overcoming Australia’s geographic, economic and labour challenges, with a focus on commercialisation. (2016) Australian Government.
• National Science and Innovation Agenda, (2016) Australian Government.
• Joining Forces: Innovation Success Through Partnerships, (2016) a report by the Australian Industry Group based on a survey of Australian CEOs as well as in-depth interviews with leading Australian innovators.
• The NSW Public Service Commission has released a number of reviews of collaboration in the NSW Public Sector including the Collaboration Review (2016), Collaboration between sectors to improve customer outcomes for citizens (2013) and the Collaboration Blueprint (2013).
• Translating research for economic and social benefit: country comparisons by Australian Council of Learned Academies (2015). An analysis of international best practice approaches to encouraging and facilitating research translation, commercialisation and collaboration.
• The Senate Economics References Committee report on Australia’s Innovation System (2015) by the Australian Government.
• Innovate And Prosper: Ensuring Australia’s Future Competitiveness through University-Industry Collaboration (2015) Australian Technology Network of Universities and Australian Industry Group.
• Building Australia’s Comparative Advantages, a discussion paper which seeks to start a conversation about what it will take to build an innovative economy, foster globally competitive industries and identify the types of jobs that can be created in an advanced economy like Australia. (2014) Business Council Australia.
• Promoting productive Industry-Research Collaboration, a report from the fourth Innovation Academic’s Workshop held at ANU and hosted by the Department of Innovation, Industry and Science on 11 June 2014.
• Boosting the commercial returns from research, a discussion paper which canvasses a range of actions and reforms to improve Australia’s economic performance through better translation of research into commercial outcomes. The Department of Industry and Science and the Department of Education and Training (2014).
• Business Australia (formerly the NSW Business Chamber) produced Industry research collaboration Stakeholder insights and Industry research collaboration discussion paper. Drawing on feedback from over 100 industry, government and research sector leaders, this report identifies ways to improve commercial outcomes through industry – research sector collaboration (2014).
• The Changing PhD, a discussion paper on the purpose and effectiveness of PhD programs by Group of Eight (2013).
• The report of the National Commission of Audit (2014) on Towards responsible government includes sections on research and development.
• Strengthening Links Between Industry and Public Sector Research Organisations a report of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) International Workshop series held in Sydney on 17-18 May 2011 and supported by the then Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
• Focusing Australia’s Publicly Funded Research Review, a review commissioned by the then Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research and delivered in 2011 with a particular focus on maximising the innovation dividend derived from the Australian Government (government) investment in publicly funded research.
• Venturous Australia – Building Strength through Innovation A report commissioned by the Department of Innovation, Industry and Science (2008) which is a review of the National Innovation System. It identifies that the System requires renewal, refurbishment, recasting and, where necessary, re-imagining.
• Science and its commercialisation in NSW, a report of the standing committee on State Development, NSW Government (2003).