388. We would like to thank the US for proposing this item for the agenda. Australian universities are renowned for the depth and diversity of the research and development opportunities they provide and the quality output they produce, leading to advances in medical and scientific research, new technological innovation and improvements in economic productivity. Australian universities are highly globalised and actively persue international partnerships with the objective of encouraging innovation and the development of new IP output through joint projects, and this is illustrated by growing institution-to-institution links including through a significant increase in new memorandums of understanding, particularly across Asia.
389. The Australian government is committed to fostering international research collaboration, including through funding for strategic research funds currently in place with India and China. Under this model, governments make a co-investment in the fund to foster strategic research and collaboration of mutual benefit. Funding is directly towards the establishment of joint research centres, group missions and research knowledge exchange. The Australian government has encouraged greater industry collaboration to ensure that research output meets the current and future needs of industry, including through the establishment of Cooperative Research Councils or CRCs, which foster end-user driven research partnerships involving researchers, industries, communities and governments. There are currently 40 active CRCs operating in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fishing, manufacturing and services. Over the life of the CRC programme, non-government commitment to CRC research has equated to over three times the amount of government seed funding.
390. Australia has also targeted IP innovation through the industry innovation precincts which bring together value chains by partnering with stakeholders across industry. Researchers work with business to develop new innovations, increasing the productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of businesses across their industry. Two new precincts were opened in 2013, focusing on the food and beverage industry and the manufacturing sector.
