Biuro Radcy Handlowego Ambasady Australii w Warszawie

R&D and innovation

Innovation drives productivity and economic growth, assisting Australia and Australian manufacturers to become more productive and competitive on global markets.

Australians have won 12 Nobel Prizes - most of them in medicine and science - making it one of the leading Nobel Prize-winning countries in per capita terms.

Nobel Laureates:

• William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg - Physics 1915 
• Howard Walter Florey - Physiology or Medicine 1945
• Frank Macfarlane Burnet - Physiology or Medicine 1960
• John Carew Eccles - Physiology or Medicine 1963
• Alexander Mikhailovich Prokhorov - Physics 1964
• Bernhard Katz - Physiology or Medicine 1970
• Patrick White - Literature 1973
• John Warcup Cornforth - Chemistry 1975
• Peter Charles Doherty - Physiology or Medicine 1996
• Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren - Physiology or Medicine 2005 
• Elizabeth H.Blackburn - Physiology or Medicine 2009
• Brian P. Schmidt - Physics 2011  

Australians are adept at innovation, in fact, many Australian innovations and inventions are of world significance. For example, secondary school age girls around the world are being treated with the world’s first cancer vaccine, protecting against the human papilloma virus, which causes most types of cervical cancer and which was developed in Australia. Its co developer, Professor Ian Frazer received the 2008 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and the 2008 International Balzan Prize for Preventive Medicine.

Australians discovered the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in causing stomach ulcers (Professor Barry Marshall & Dr Robin Warren).

Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of patent applications for innovations in renewable energy and biotechnology.

Australians invented the modern standard for WiFi, with the breakthrough IEEE 802.11a for wireless internet.

Australians also invented or developed:

• the original heart pacemaker,
• "black box" - used in airplanes all over the world to determine the cause of disasters,
• radio-telescope, used for the transmitting the first steps of man on the moon,
• mine detector, currently used in 44 countries, including the UN peacekeeping missions,
• the world's first influenza drug, currently sold in 51 countries around the world,
• the Cochlear implant assisting the hearing impaired and profoundly deaf,
• the ultrasound scanner,
• Google Maps,
• spray-on-skin,
• penicillin as a medical antibiotic,
• permaculture,
• dual-flush toilets,
• CETO wave energy,
• Racecam TV sports coverage.

Facts and figures 

In 2007-08, 39.1 per cent of Australian businesses reported implementing an innovation. This represented a 7.0 percentage point increase from the year 2006-07.

Of the types of innovation implemented, 21.9 per cent of businesses reported introducing new goods or services, 17.6 per cent of businesses implemented new operational processes, 19.0 per cent of businesses implemented new organisational/managerial processes, and 14.6 per cent of businesses implemented new marketing methods.

The wholesale trade industry reported the highest proportion of innovating businesses at 51.4 per cent; this was higher than any of the other industries. The retail, trade and manufacturing industries reported the next highest proportions of innovating businesses at 50.9 per cent and 45.6 per cent respectively.

Business size was positively correlated with the introduction of innovations. The survey showed that 65.9 per cent of businesses employing 200 or more persons reported introducing an innovation compared to only 31.6 per cent of businesses employing 0-4 persons reporting introducing an innovation.

In 2007-08, 43.7 per cent of all Australian businesses surveyed reported at least one barrier to innovation, this compares to 46.3 per cent of businesses in 2006-07. The three most frequently cited barriers by all businesses to innovation include: lack of skilled persons (23.0 per cent of businesses); lack of access to additional funds (16.0 per cent of businesses); and uncertain demand for new goods and services at 11.2 per cent of businesses.

About 17 per cent of innovation-active businesses collaborated for the purpose of innovation in 2006-07. In terms of the types of organisations collaborated with, 42 per cent of innovation-active businesses collaborated with clients, customers or buyers compared with 1.6 per cent who reported collaborating with universities or other higher education institutions. In 2006-07, the class of competition, demand and market related drivers were the most commonly reported reason for undertaking innovative activity at 76.9 per cent of businesses, of which profit related drivers (75.9 per cent) and production and delivery drivers (58.0 per cent) were nominated by the highest proportions of firms. Whereas 11.4 per cent of business respondents indicated that innovation was undertaken in response to government regulations or standards.

The most frequently reported sources for innovative activity by innovation-active businesses in 2006-07 were ideas or information within the business or related company (55.6 per cent), followed by clients, customers or buyers (44.1 per cent).

Useful websites 

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation – www.csiro.au  

Ausindustry - www.ausindustry.gov.au/innovationaustralia
Innovation - www.innovation.gov.au
Ausinnovation - www.ausinnovation.org
Innovation Australia - www.innovationaustralia.org

If you are interested in Australian R&D and innovation and wish to contact with exporters, please contact

Bożena Świerbutowicz bozena.swierbutowicz@austrade.gov.au