Research translation can help us meet the challenges of the coming decades head-on. Here’s how.
1. Revolutionary renewable energy storage
The invention: The LAVO hydrogen energy storage system uses electrolysers to convert water into hydrogen, storing it safely in a metal hydride before turning it into power at a regulated voltage. It can be hooked up to an existing array of rooftop solar panels to store renewable energy – enough to run the average Australian house for up to two days – and claims to be the first and only such system commercially ready for everyday use.
The team behind it: Researchers at the University of NSW Hydrogen Energy Research Centre, in collaboration with Providence Asset Group.
Commercialisation: Spin-out company LAVO Hydrogen Technology Limited was launched in September 2020 and is accepting pre-orders from Australian and international customers. The first units are due for delivery to Australian customers as early as March 2022. Larger-scale applications in regional and remote power supply and energy-intensive industries are also being explored.
2. A major contribution to food security
The invention: The global population obtains a huge proportion of its nutrition from wheat-based foods such as bread, pasta and noodles. A University of Sydney team led by Professor Robert Park has been safeguarding the crops behind these products by endowing them with in-built genetic resistance to the fungi that cause debilitating rust diseases. This will help ensure that the 9.7 billion people expected to populate the planet by 2050 will have enough protein, nutrients and carbohydrates to lead healthy lives. It’s an indication of the work’s importance that in 2009 Park was awarded the Friendship Award of China, the highest honour bestowed by the Chinese Government on a foreign expert who has made outstanding contributions to China.
The team behind it: Researchers at the University of Sydney’s Plant Breeding Institute led by Professor Robert Park.
Commercialisation: Worldwide, rust-resistant cereal crops developed under Park’s leadership underscore many billions of dollars’ worth of wheat products annually.
3. Quantum computing to solve complex problems, quickly
The invention: The world’s first single atom transistor, a basic data unit in quantum computers, is based on a single phosphorus atom precision placed in a silicon chip. Development of this tiny device, in 2012, was a big step in the race to engineer substantially faster, more efficient computers. At the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, a team of 200 researchers across seven Australian universities continues to advance the development of unique technologies for manipulating matter and light at the level of individual atoms and photons.
The team behind it: Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons and her team at the University of New South Wales.
Commercialisation: Quantum computing has broad-ranging potential applications including climate modelling, machine learning, scheduling and logistical planning, and rapid drug design and testing. Australia’s first quantum computing company, Silicon Quantum Computing, has been working since 2017 to create and commercialise a quantum computer based on intellectual property developed at the Centre. It currently leads this international race.
4. Evidence-based parenting support for a better start in life
The invention: Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, is an evidence-based, practical parenting program to help parents build strong family routines and relationships, manage their children’s behaviour, and raise happy, confident kids while also looking after themselves. Shown to be effective across cultures, socio-economic groups and different family structures, for young children up to teenagers, the program has been accessed by the families of more than four million children across 30 countries and in 22 languages. It’s available via online self-paced courses, one-off sessions or a series of workshops delivered by accredited trainers, which number more than 91,000.
The team behind it: Researchers led by Matt Sanders, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland (UQ).
Commercialisation: In 2001, UQ’s technology transfer arm, UniQuest, licensed the program to Triple P International (TPI), a certified B Corp headquartered in Australia with operations and employees spanning the globe. Resources from UQ’s Parenting and Family Support Centre to support parents and families in managing the challenges of COVID-19 are available here, free of charge.
5. Robotics and AI for more sustainable agriculture
The invention: The Digital Farmhand is a mobile solar-electric robot with a range of agricultural applications. It can be remotely controlled or run autonomously and features powerful onboard AI that can, for instance, differentiate between crop plants and weeds, allowing precision weeding without the need for chemicals. It has been designed to play a role in building a more sustainable industry – environmentally, socially and economically – by boosting farm productivity while reducing the need for damaging chemicals and lowering labour costs.
The team behind it: Engineers, technologists and business engagement experts led by Salah Sukkarieh, CEO/Founder of spin-out company Agerris and Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydney. Professor Sukkarieh was Director Research and Innovation at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) at Sydney University from 2007-2018.
Commercialisation: In 2019, with $6.5 million in seed funding, spin-out company Agerris was established with a focus on commercialising a range of robotic and Al technologies from the ACFR. The Digital Farmhand is available commercially to farmers in Australia under a robotics-as-a-service agreement. Farmers pay to use the robots for weeding, spraying, and crop intelligence.
6. Less energy-intensive lithium mining
The invention: Today we use lithium-ion batteries in everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. Around 70% of the 82,000 tonnes of lithium mined in 2020 was used to manufacture these batteries and demand is expected to skyrocket as production of electric vehicles increases. A new technology called LieNA allows for the extraction of lithium from fine and/or low-quality mining byproducts of a mineral called spodumene, which are usually discarded as waste. This unlocks the potential for increased production of lithium to help keep up with demand. It’s also far less energy-intensive in comparison to conventional methods.
The team behind it: Perth-based company Lithium Australia partnered with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Minerals business division to develop the technology.
Commercialisation: ASX-listed Lithium Australia holds Australian and European patents for LieNA. A pilot plant in Sydney is expected to commence production in early 2022.
7. Crops for a new climate
The invention: As global temperatures rise over the next century, many existing plants that we depend upon for food will be placed under stress, resulting in significantly lower production. A gene was discovered in wild Australian rice that will reduce the effect of heat stress on plant growth, catalysing photosynthesis and maintaining a healthy crop during a heat wave. It is believed the gene can be transferred to other crops, such as wheat and barley, so they too can be grown in warmer climates. This ground-breaking discovery has worldwide implications as we aim to provide enough food for the global population in a changing climate.
The team behind it: Macquarie University’s Professor Brian Atwell and Dr Andrew Scafaro. Dr Atwell has published many papers on heat tolerance, drought stress and ways to improve other crops such as cotton.
Commercialisation: The technology was developed with international collaborations and supported by Bayer CropScience in Belgium. Bayer CropScience’s wheat business was acquired by BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world, which now has a mutual licence agreement with Macquarie University to bring a heat-resistant wheat crop to market.
8. Carbon-neutral production of fertiliser chemical and future fuel
The invention: Each year roughly 180 million tonnes of ammonia, a key ingredient in fertiliser, are manufactured. The existing production process in large industrial plants is highly carbon intensive and accounts for approximately 1.8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Researchers from Monash University have figured out a carbon-neutral alternative by reducing nitrogen extracted from the air and combining it with hydrogen extracted from water, with power provided by renewable electricity.
The team behind it: A team of Monash University scientists, led by Professor Doug MacFarlane and Dr Alexandr Simonov.
Commercialisation: A spin-out company, Jupiter Ionics, is scaling up the process to demonstrate operation in commercial applications. Demand for ammonia for use in agriculture is expected to increase to 350 million tonnes a year by 2050. In addition, there is growing interest in its use as an energy carrier and transport fuel, particularly in international shipping.
9. More efficient use of water
The invention: The fully automated irrigation control system Total Channel Control (TCC) is saving billions of litres of water each year around the world, helping farmers survive drought and increase crop yields. With irrigation accounting for more than 70% of the global demand for fresh water, and water scarcity increasing, this system is cost-effective and improves the efficiency of existing open-channel irrigation infrastructure. Using data from solar-powered sensors, TCC measures and controls water flow from the source to farms in real time, allowing farmers to manage irrigation remotely. By identifying leakage and evaporation, it makes irrigated agriculture more productive and sustainable.
The team behind it: Melbourne-based irrigation specialists Rubicon Water partnered with a research team led by Professor Iven Mareels at the University of Melbourne.
Commercialisation: TCC went to market in 2005 and is now used by all major irrigation authorities in Australia, and throughout New Zealand, India, China, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Canada and the United States.
10. Cheaper, cleaner activated charcoal
The invention: Bygen activated carbon is made using what is believed to be a world-first process that reduces the environmental cost and is substantially cheaper to produce. While activated charcoal is currently made from materials like coal and coconut shell, the conventional production process requires high temperatures reached only with fossil fuels. Bygen’s novel carbon-negative production method uses lower temperatures, and can utilise cheaper and sustainable agricultural wastes as feedstocks, slashing costs and creating the potential for tailored-for-purpose products.
The team behind it: Researchers led by Dr Philip Kwong at the University of Adelaide – including then PhD candidates Dr Lewis Dunnigan and Ben Morton – developed the technology. These three also co-founded spin-out Bygen.
Commercialisation: Activated carbon is used extensively to purify water, remediate soil, in precious metal recovery and cosmetics, and more. Estimates of the global market value for activated charcoal in 2021 range from US$5 billion to US$8 billion. A pilot plant was established at the University of Adelaide in 2018, with the next step a full-scale plant to produce commercial quantities.
Written by Kate Arneman, Carolyn Barry, Amanda Burdon, Ken Eastwood, Michelle Fincke and Karen McGhee.