Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

Pilot project on commercialising university knowledge

Industry Minister Mark Birrell has announced a pilot program in which three Victorian Universities — Deakin, RMIT and Latrobe — are receive more than $100,000 each to appoint Technology Diffusion Coordinators (TDC) to seek out potential commercial opportunities in knowledge-based industries.

The program is aimed at facilitating the spread of university knowledge into the business environment as part of a plan to ensure good ideas have every opportunity to be commercialised.

The TDC officer will be charged with contacting individual businesses, particularly in the area surrounding each funded university.

"With a specialist new officer appointed to each of the universities, they will be able to build tangible, effective links with industry," Mr Birrell said.

"They will examine industry needs and look at how links can be made with the university. And they will also be able to advise industry on existing Business Growth programs and other State Government initiatives, which could assist their growth and development."

The Technology Diffusion Coordinator for Latrobe University will operate from the LaTrobe Research and Technology Centre, an incubator site for more than 20 small technology companies. The Deakin coordinator will be based at the University’s Geelong campus, operating within the Faculty of Science and Technology. RMIT’s coordinator will be based at the Melbourne campus.

The pilot program will be assisted by an additional grant from the Australian Industry Group that will fund a similar coordinator position. The four coordinators will then work as a network and bring together their knowledge and resources to best meet the needs of the client companies.

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, August 23, 1999)