Knowledge commercialisation and transfer
Words by Dr Gregory Harper
Acritical feature of research and development (R&D), innovation, and the creation of new technologies is the challenge of transferring this new knowledge to industry and commercialising the findings. Success in this space maximises the output of R&D, supports industry growth, profitability, and competitiveness, and boosts Australia’s economic future.
The innovation gap
Failure to effectively communicate the results of R&D and innovation is a significant challenge, often referred to as the innovation gap. Addressing this gap requires capacity and resources to facilitate the translation of R&D outputs to products and services for commercialisation and industry adoption.
The importance of addressing the innovation gap is highlighted in the Connect pillar in the AIFST Strategic Plan (2025-2027). This pillar emphasises the value of facilitating meaningful connections that encourage knowledge exchange and engagement, and nurture a strong portfolio of strategic relationships that lead to deeper connections with stakeholders.
With the richness and complexity of the Australian agrifood system, AIFST seeks to collaborate with various groups that employ different approaches to the opportunities and challenges faced.
Knowledge commercialisation
Knowledge Commercialisation
Australasia (KCA) is the non-profit, peak body leading best practice in
industry engagement, technology transfer and entrepreneurship on behalf of Australian and New Zealand research organisations. Its membership includes technology transfer professionals from across a range of sectors. KCA hosts a range of Special Interest Groups and, reflecting the diversity of the organisation, it has an Agriculture and Food Special Interest Group (Ag SIG). For more information, see www. techtransfer.org.au
As Chair of the KCA Agriculture and Food SIG I have found their meetings compelling in that they help delegates understand the trials, tribulations and global impact of successful knowledge commercialisation initiatives. KCA works with the support of its members, the Australian Commonwealth Department of
Education and gemaker (https:// gemaker.com.au/) to compile and publish SCOPR® - Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research.1 The report is published annually by KCA and includes data for both Australia and New Zealand.
While the survey covers all Australian and New Zealand publicly funded research activities, not just those focussed on agrifood, it provides unique value in the absence of more targeted data for our sector. We know that Australian and New Zealand companies are also involved in the commercialisation of agrifood knowledge, and that this activity is not captured in this survey. A shift from the public to the private sector is an important aspect of the longterm data.
Figure 1 shows that across Australia, a lot of researchers are employed in our publicly-funded institutions, and those researchers are supported in their work with significant amounts of public money from agrifood research and development through the Rural Research and Development Corporations, the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs), the FaBA Trailblazer, Australian Research Council and other programs. This pool of research talent (estimated to be 2000 for this field) generates a significant number of discoveries and inventions.
On the supply side, these research outputs are delivered by a significant number of technology transfer professionals – the people that KCA represents, trains and recognises. Within this, the Ag SIG has 82 members from across Australia, who play a pivotal role as technology transfer professionals in moving discoveries and new knowledge from the laboratories and libraries into the hands of those best-placed to commercialise it.
The opportunity
According to a recent survey of KCA Ag SIG members and their networks, it was estimated that there are currently only about 40 people in
Australia who are tasked with getting innovations out of laboratories and into agrifood companies to help them “Capture the Prize” of $200 billion by 2030.2
While some may argue that funding should prioritise research over support staff – “let’s keep the money for more research, and not waste it on more support staff” –the alternative is for researchers to absorb commercialisation responsibilities into already full workloads, or for research program managers to take on complex licensing and contracting without the necessary expertise. In this context, dedicated technology transfer professionals are not a luxury; they
are essential to unlocking value from our national research efforts.
The flip side is a growing trend for specialised private companies to facilitate the transfer of technology from public institutions to agrifood businesses. However, few Australian food companies have the resources to actively grab IP and know-how from inside those institutions. A clear gap remains.
To unlock the value of Australia’s publicly funded research, the transfer and commercialisation of R&D findings and innovation in the agrifood sector must be strengthened. This will require the injection of more resources and a broader base of skilled practitioners.
Knowledge Commercialisation
Australia’s Agriculture and Food Special Interest Group contends that the agrifood sector is currently served by a professional cohort that is too small. As such, there is a compelling opportunity for young professionals to explore careers in this specialised and high-impact field.
References
1. Knowledge Commercialisation Australia, (2023), Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research http://techtransfer.org. au/scopr/
2. Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre (2020), Capturing the Prize: The A$200 billion opportunity in 2030 for the Australian food and agribusiness sector https://www.fial.com.au/ sharing-knowledge/capturing-the-prize
Dr Gregory Harper trained as a biochemist at the University of Queensland and Monash University before embarking on an international career in research, development, knowledge translation and governance. He now works as a strategy advisor and mentor through Crondar Pty Ltd. Gregory is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is co-chair of the AIFST Board. f
