Tag: commercialisation

Professor Emeritus Murray Gillin has spent the majority of his adult life championing the importance of entrepreneurship. He has taught it. He has studied it. And despite a career largely in academia, he has lived it, pioneering a range of entrepreneurial endeavours, including the world's first masters degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Professor Emeritus Murray Gillin has spent the majority of his adult life championing the importance of entrepreneurship. He has taught it. He has studied it. And despite a career largely in academia, he has lived it, pioneering a range of entrepreneurial endeavours, including the world's first masters degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.

A privately initiated discussion has been gaining some momentum on the Anthill LinkedIn Group over the past week. The discussion was triggered by an announcement from the Office of Senator Kim Carr, Australia's Minister for Innovation, pertaining to the selection of Commercialisation Australian board members.

A privately initiated discussion has been gaining some momentum on the Anthill LinkedIn Group over the past week. The discussion was triggered by an announcement from the Office of Senator Kim Carr, Australia's Minister for Innovation, pertaining to the selection of Commercialisation Australian board members.

Following our recent series of articles on innovation in Australia (our Australia Day series), we received the following note from the Office of Senator Kim Carr, Australia’s Innovation Minister. We were expecting a dressing down. Here's what we got instead.

Following our recent series of articles on innovation in Australia (our Australia Day series), we received the following note from the Office of Senator Kim Carr, Australia’s Innovation Minister. We were expecting a dressing down. Here's what we got instead.

Last week, I was fortunate to be among a small group of people who attended Anthill's Grant Funding by Design Masterclass, in partnership with Design Victoria. In addition to providing an extremely candid explanation of what grant assessors are looking for, AusIndustry's Samara Fitzgerald-Gelnay provided an extremely helpful document on the programs and grants available to growing, innovative Australian businesses through AusIndustry.

We've all seen the "Hitler loses it" mashups, where aspiring Spielbergs have taken the now famous bunker scene from Downfall and replaced the sub-titles. In fact, it's fast becoming a new benchmark for popular culture. If your 'issue' hasn't been expropriated by Hitler yet it can't be that big a deal. That's why we were pleased to discover this clip by YouTuber BleakIsolationist. Okay, it's not as funny as Hitler's Alan Didak eruption or [insert favourite here] but in the context of Anthill it is topical.

We've all seen the "Hitler loses it" mashups, where aspiring Spielbergs have taken the now famous bunker scene from Downfall and replaced the sub-titles. In fact, it's fast becoming a new benchmark for popular culture. If your 'issue' hasn't been expropriated by Hitler yet it can't be that big a deal. That's why we were pleased to discover this clip by YouTuber BleakIsolationist. Okay, it's not as funny as Hitler's Alan Didak eruption or [insert favourite here] but in the context of Anthill it is topical.

Our 'secret-squirrels' have revealed to Anthill that the seven board positions, appointed to analyse and approve Commercialisation Australia funding applications, have been filled and that an announcement is imminent. No-one knows who will be among this 'magnicifent seven' other than those appointed or involved in the decision. In fact, it is a complete mystery to external observers how these important functionaries were selected. Was there some sort of process behind closed doors? Were they vetted? Were the decisions political? Or vaguely political, chosen in the same fashion as a US High Court Judge, to perform the role yet still be 'on-side' with the powers that be?

Inconsistency is what most influences an organisation's decision to invest in R&D and the extent of its R&D investment. This is because a company cannot budget and minimise risk if it does now know the extent to which it is likely to be eligible for a tax concession. The proposed reforms to the R&D tax concession not only conflict with their stated purpose but offer no consistency to organisations already engaged in the complex task of commercialising innovation... whether novel or risky.

Inconsistency is what most influences an organisation's decision to invest in R&D and the extent of its R&D investment. This is because a company cannot budget and minimise risk if it does now know the extent to which it is likely to be eligible for a tax concession. The proposed reforms to the R&D tax concession not only conflict with their stated purpose but offer no consistency to organisations already engaged in the complex task of commercialising innovation... whether novel or risky.

Of note to NSW SMEs and public sector research organisations (PSRO) is the launch last week of the NSW government's TechVouchers scheme, a pilot...

Is innovation a driver of economic development down-under? The simple answer is, yes. But is it a core driver – part of our national psyche, supported by government policy? I personally don’t think that it is. I’m not so sure that ‘necessity’ is a part of life for most Australians. I don’t think that the ‘tyranny of distance’ still forces us to work smarter, not harder. In fact, the only cultural description I believe worth citing as part of this innovation debate is Australia’s reputation as a ‘lucky country’.

Eugene Lin wanted to be rich. So, he decided to invent an iPhone application. With nothing but an accelerometer, two dozen naked women, and the nation of Japan, Eugene surprisingly found himself with a ripper story to tell (in under five minutes).

While most Australians will have enjoyed the wonderful economic prosperity that digging things out of the ground can bring (while there’s still a market in China) and enjoyed the fat of our land, grilled and shish-kebabed (when not exported to the Middle East), a minority - a rarely celebrated part of our ‘cultural mix’ - used the rare solace of a national public holiday to work on that thing often described as ‘innovation’.

So you want to start a business but time and money are holding you back? Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin has set himself the challenge of launching a startup in seven days for less than $500. This is the second post in the series.

During this evening networking event, attendees will learn from successful Australian business builders who have "been there, done that" and employed grant assistance as an instrumental part of their ongoing commercial success.

So you want to start a business but time and money are holding you back? Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin has set himself the challenge of launching a startup in seven days for less than $500. This is his introductory post in the series. The clock has started!

As part of the Federal Government’s dramatic overhaul of its commercialisation program, now called Commercialisation Australia, the R&D Tax Concession will replace the R&D Tax Credit from 1 July, 2010.