The
Upshot OUTCOMES W I T H I M PA C T 2012
Partnering for Success. Connect, Collaborate, Create.
Welcome
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Engaging with opportunities, making a difference Universities have long been known for two key outputs: skilled and informed people and fundamental insights into the world we live in. They are less known for another important contribution they make to our community: the combined application of those two factors – skills and insights – to produce real impact in our day to day lives. Welcome to the first edition of our new series of stories highlighting the great work that our researchers are doing in conjunction with their partners in industry and government: translating knowledge into benefits for the community. These are just a few of the dozens of stories of positive engagement involving University of Adelaide researchers. Too often these good news stories go unheard – though thankfully the benefits are felt by many regardless. Nonetheless we feel it is critical to promote these stories better: to give due credit to the achievement of those involved, but also to build a broader understanding of the benefits. In this way we hope to spur further engagement. The engagement between the University of Adelaide and the outside world takes many different shapes and forms. You may be familiar with more conventional outputs: teaching and research papers. But there are many other interactions where these outputs are transformed and delivered in new ways to our mutual benefit, including: applied research on real world problems, transfer of technology (by creation of new companies or licence), and many other types of collaboration. Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd exists to foster and facilitate those interactions. We are a University owned company, established nearly 30 years ago, with a proud history of assisting the translation of the benefits that engagement with the University can bring. However we know we need to do more to extend on this sound base. This will involve us reaching out more: not only to communicate the good news of past achievements (such as those contained in this briefing), but to listen to you. We need to improve our understanding of your needs – in order to better inform the potential development of new (or deeper) partnerships. We hope you enjoy the following good news stories: communicating the upshot of the deep wealth of research and capabilities that exist within the University of Adelaide. But don’t let it stop there: help us help you by telling us what the stories of the future might be – contact us through the web now.
Health & Social Impact
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Making their biggest dream come true A collaborative partnership between the University of Adelaide, Adelaide Research & Innovation, and ORIGIO a/s, a world leader in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) solutions, has resulted in the development of EmbryoGen®, a novel treatment option for women undergoing IVF who have had one or more previous miscarriages. Through research and innovation, ORIGIO a/s aim to provide the best products to medical professionals to help the number one dream of every infertile couple come true. They are committed to helping those who have had the misfortune of suffering a miscarriage, wanting to ease their pain by looking for new ways to increase the odds so they might carry a child to full term. In 2004, ORIGIO a/s was approached by Adelaide Research & Innovation with an innovative fertility culture medium for growing embryos. The culture medium, the culmination of more than two decades' work for Professor Sarah Robertson, a University of Adelaide reproductive biologist, an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and member of the University's Robinson Institute, contained Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), a natural growth factor which appeared to support the development of embryos in vitro and improve the success of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. GM-CSF is found naturally in the mother's tissues and protects the embryo from stress, making it stronger and more robust in the early implantation period. The culture medium, when used at the pre-implantation stage of IVF treatment, mimics the embryo’s natural environment, and supports the development of the embryo in the same way that would have otherwise taken place in the mother’s womb. This results in a more robust embryo, meaning fewer miscarriages for IVF patients. Attracted by the science, and convinced of the commercial applicability of the technology, ORIGIO a/s licensed the intellectual property for the culture medium, and undertook the world’s largest fertility media study to verify Professor Robertson’s findings, and develop the world’s first natural growth factor medium with proven effect. Now available in over 40 countries, EmbryoGen® is making a real difference to the lives of real people. ORIGIO a/s has received letters from grateful embryologists all around Europe, who have been able to help people as a result of this technology. Like other medium sized companies, ORIGIO a/s rely on collaborative partnerships to achieve their research and development goals; and like the University and Adelaide Research & Innovation, ORIGIO a/s believe in fostering long term relationships to capitalise on the benefits of collaboration. Over the past seven years, time has been committed by all parties to the establishment and maintenance of this relationship, which means that today, the rapport between all three is more than terms written in a contract; it’s a personal friendship. The value of this is that if things don’t go according to plan, terms in contracts can easily be negotiated in good faith – there is mutual trust. ORIGIO a/s can draw upon the resources of the University to help them as the need arises, and the University can get critical market feedback relating to the commercial viability of new discoveries. This has been advantageous for ORIGIO a/s, who are now interested in undertaking further research to assess the viability of this technology in the case of embryo transfer at day five of development. EmbryoGen® was developed to satisfy 80% of the world’s IVF market where embryo transfer occurs three days after fertilisation. However in the US, Australia and Japan, transfer more commonly occurs at day five. ORIGIO a/s, the University of Adelaide and Adelaide Research & Innovation will work together to try and bring this technology to these markets to benefit the lives of many more. ORGIO a/s continue to work with the University of Adelaide due to the quality of the science, the commercial applicability of the research outcomes, and the commitment from all parties involved in maintaining a solid, long-term relationship underpinned by mutual trust and understanding.
Environmental & Economic Impact
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Working towards a smarter, greener business with new partnership Adelaide Airport Limited (AAL) is arguably the most ecologically sustainable airport in Australia. To help it realise these ambitions, it has entered into a three year partnership with the Centre for Energy Technology (CET) at the University of Adelaide to provide research support and help develop innovative clean energy solutions. AAL is a growing private company, owned by superfund shareholders. It is the fifth largest airport in Australia, with revenue totalling $152 million per annum. In 2008, AAL released a Sustainability Policy which formed the foundation for the airport’s 2009 five-year Sustainability Plan outlining organisational goals to “reduce energy consumption by 5%” and “participate actively in environmental research.” Development of the Plan coincided with the issuing of a green paper from the Labor Government, which detailed a proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme to be implemented in 2010. The possibility of such a scheme highlighted an eminent need to develop and implement a corporate carbon strategy and ensure best laid intentions became a working reality. The biggest hurdle AAL anticipated with the execution of such an initiative was connected to the management of expectations of the general public. The ownership felt by this stakeholder group would mean that implementation of any socially responsible activity would have to be easily understood and communicated. The experience of others told them that a “carbon neutral” strategy for the airport could be tricky, while the other commonplace strategy of an “offset” approach did not align with the culture of the organisation. “Simply putting money into paying for carbon offsets doesn’t solve the underlying issue,” said Mr John McArdle, Executive General Manager External Affairs. With the strong belief that an “invest, not just offset” mindset would return both economic and environmental benefits, AAL decided to go down a proactive path and devise a strategy that would tackle their environmental footprint head on. Airports overseas were known to have had success in working with Universities to help find economical solutions to address operational and technical problems. AAL was drawn to the idea of working with a local institution to help them source a solution, and therefore sought out the expertise of the three South Australian Universities. After engaging in dialogue with the University of Adelaide, it was found that there was an alignment between the strategic goals of both entities, and a collaborative partnership was formed. The Relationship In 2011, the AAL-CET Partnership was born; a three year venture which will see resources from both parties allocated across two programs. The first program will aim to support activities directly related to reducing the carbon footprint of Adelaide Airport’s Terminal 1 building, thereby supporting AAL’s mission to become the most ecologically sustainable airport in Australia. The second is aligned with finding solutions and provide leadership in advancing clean energy practices. That is, research will be undertaken to develop novel clean energy technologies and practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve large environmental benefits in the long term. The Returns Partnering with the University has many foreseeable benefits to AAL. Unlike consultancy firms which are limited in terms of their service offering capacity, research institutions are able to offer a breadth of expertise which enables them to address a multitude of matters. In addition to this, researchers are naturally inquisitive, and can help ask the right questions; a researchers mind is such that they are able to predict future challenges and identify pathways to work towards addressing an issue before it becomes problematic. Most notably though, working with the University is a very cost effective option. AAL’s investment of $750,000 spread across three years is not only likely to generate a positive return on investment via the implementation of cost saving clean energy solutions, but it has enabled them to turn an outlay of cash that would have been an expense into working capital. They also gain the added benefit of reputation enhancement, arising from their acquired ability to inform and interest stakeholders regarding their investment and leadership in this space. Giving back to research and developing a relationship with the people who are conducting cutting-edge research to solve real-world problems is a win-win strategy for AAL. Their partnership with CET will render them as a premier airport for research, producing a unique competitive advantage that could potentially extend to other areas of the business. Not only that, the outcomes of the program will work towards achieving the objectives and goals of AAL’s overall Sustainability Plan, the on flow of which will also have a significant positive impact on both the local environment and the community.
Environmental Impact
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She’s a real beauty mate! Collaboration between the University of Adelaide, Adelaide Research & Innovation and Humphris Nursery, based in Moorlbark Victoria, has resulted in the introduction of two new varieties of Mallee eucalypts into the Australian plant market. The eucalypt is a classic Australian icon. Perfectly suited to growing in a variety of terrains and climates, this Australian native plays a vital role in Australia’s ecosystem. With climate change and water consumption a growing concern, there has been renewed interest in native trees and plants, especially for street and urban landscape plantings. Particular interest has been shown in specially grafted flowering eucalypts, owing to inherent properties such striking beauty, low water usage, and reduced size. Humphris is a leading production nursery, experienced in grafting existing market varieties of eucalypts. Aware of the growing demand for plants suitable for low water landscapes, they actively sought out a way to develop an edge to set them apart from their competition. An online search revealed some intriguing research being conducted by Dr Kate Delaporte at the University of Adelaide on new hybrid varieties of Mallee eucalypts. Humphris were excited by this as these varieties were low water usage and produced the most exquisite floral displays beauty that Humphris could foresee great market pull for in the nursery market. Unfortunately for Humphris, it was not going to be possible to simply licence in the new varieties and start selling them to the masses. Humphris’ main consumer market was the eastern states of Australia; a terrain with a very different climate to the new variety’s natural growing conditions in Western Australia. In order for the new plants to tolerant the wide range of environmental conditions found on the east coast, they would require propagation by grafting; a feat that no one had successfully achieved within these eucalypts before. Humphris knew it was going to be a huge risk, but they were willing to take the gamble if it meant they could develop a new variety to fulfil a gap in the marketplace. To help mitigate some of the risk in developing a market ready product, Humphris thought it best to draw on the expertise of the person closest to the new varieties, and as such, entered into a collaborative partnership with Dr Delaporte and the University of Adelaide. Over the next six years, time and money was invested into researching the merits of grafting propagation techniques and assessing varieties of rootstock to determine those best suited to the propagation of these Mallee varieties. In the end, their investment paid off, with the creation of two new exclusive standard varieties of Ornamental Eucalypt for Humphris (the ‘Nullarbor Rose’ and the ‘Nullarbor Lime’). To arrive at the final destination, it took the combination of Dr Delaporte’s extensive knowledge of the Eucalyptus genus, and Humphris’ experience and expertise in grafting propagation techniques within the horticulture industry. The clonal propagation of eucalypts is still a very new practice and as such, there are a number of gaps in the knowledge base underpinning the development of eucalypts for ornamental horticulture. As Humphris are one of only two commercial nurseries in Australia that graft eucalypts, going it alone would have proven to be a slow and challenging process. By collaborating with Dr Delaporte, Humphris have been able to tap into her understanding of eucalypt breeding, and successfully develop two new products with desirable characteristics that will enable them to compete favourably in the Australian market. With the success of the first project, Humphris now see an opportunity to create new demand for their business by means of “designer” trees, and are looking to develop new purposebred varieties with Dr Delaporte to suit the needs of local councils and urban planners. Subsequently, new trials are currently underway to breed new varieties that can be propagated by tissue culture. This is quite groundbreaking in that, if successful, this process will be quicker than grafting, enabling Humphris to cater for demand more efficiently and cost effectively. Humphris are quite enthusiastic about the potential for this project, and the possible outcomes that it will produce (including the possibility to expand into overseas markets). Humphris Nursery is committed to sourcing and growing innovative, cutting-edge plants, and delivering quality plants to their consumers. Collaborating with Dr Delaporte and the University of Adelaide is helping them to do just that.
Insight
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Open Innovation: what is it? Do Universities have a role to play? Open innovation is a paradigm that assumes that firms can and should use external ideas as well as internal ideas, and internal and external paths to market, as the firms look to advance– Henry Chesbrough (Open Innovation). There has been a lot of talk – and some confusion – around open innovation and related concepts (like “open source” software). But at its core is the notion of being more open to external influences and ideas. It can apply whether we’re talking about product or process development, or even general community issues. Really this is nothing new – innovative and effective groups have always adopted such approaches. But it is a prompt to us all not to assume we have all the answers to our problems, and to recognise that we can benefit from listening to and working with others to expand and hasten our innovative potential. Universities as institutions generating and sharing knowledge, whether through training or the generation of new ideas, have always been centrally positioned in a culture of open innovation. Many companies are beginning to realise this, and are positioning themselves closely to this resource to leverage this skill and knowledge base – whether that be through investment in technologies that might lead to new businesses, or via gaining access to disruptive innovations that may become the source of competitive advantage. Assisting counterparts in the private and public sector, both locally and internationally is of great benefit to Universities as well. Working with industry partners enables Universities to learn more about the implicit nature of the broader community’s problems, and exposes them to new approaches and ideas that they can integrate into their own institutions to help them grow and develop. This in turn leads to the development of greater ideas and inventions in the longer term, many of which can have a great benefit on our society. While Universities are not the “be all and end all” in the innovation ecosystem, (there are many important players who are working to convert ideas to impact in ways that Universities cannot), they do have a key role to play. Firms using a crowd sourcing approach can look to the expertise of the University to help generate new ideas, but then must realise they have a role to play in helping to convert research outcomes into commercial value. It’s a big world out there, full of lots of challenges and opportunities: all of which are best tackled in collaboration and partnership. Going it alone and operating in a vacuum is no longer an option for either side in this fast paced environment of knowledge exchange. Universities and innovative companies that want to be successful can only be so through intensive cooperation.
ari’s Impact
PA R T N E R SS FOR SUCCE
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What we can do for you Business and industry are increasingly looking outside their organisations to find solutions to technical problems and social issues. As you can see from this quick snapshot of collaborations, the University of Adelaide is a growing and trusted source of innovation, widely known for working with its counterparts for developing and sharing ideas and best practices. Hundreds of companies across a wide variety of sectors have gained significant economic and social advantages by working with the University of Adelaide to cultivate new ideas and innovations. Collaborative research projects between industry and universities offer significant scope for the development of new knowledge and practices, new patents, solutions to technical problems and in some cases, the development of new products—all of which can translate into a sharper competitive edge. Engaging with our researchers has never been easier: if your company has a problem that needs addressing, or you are simply interested in incorporating novel and applied research thinking into your organisation's innovation ecosystem, please contact Adelaide Research & Innovation to learn how the University of Adelaide may be able to assist. We are keen to learn about the challenges facing your business or industry sector, and will endeavour to put you in touch with the right experts to help find a solution. Just part of the service offering: • Ideas generation and research • Business solutions • Applied development • Expert opinion • Testing and advisory services • Shaping public policy Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd Level 14 115 Grenfell St Adelaide SA 5000 T: +61 8 8313 5020 F: +61 8 8313 4355 E: aripl@adelaide.edu.au W: www.adelaideresearch.com.au
Connect...collaborate...create... with the University of Adelaide
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www.adelaideresearch.com.au
The
Upshot
OUTCOMES T W I T H I M PA C 2012
Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd Level 14, 115 Grenfell St Adelaide SA 5000 T: +61 8 8313 5020 F: +61 8 8313 4355 E: aripl@adelaide.edu.au www.adelaideresearch.com.au