Page 37 - Minesite 2011

Basic HTML Version

This hub is emerging in minerals and energy-related research in
Western Australia, and will be augmented by the power of the
Pawsey supercomputer.
Global standing of these precincts is the most important
strategic driver, but scale is also part of our vision. As such, our
vision is for precincts whose global research standing shines and is
recognised and visible from anywhere in the world, from Shanghai,
London, Frankfurt, New York and Tokyo. These precincts will be
part of global research networks that link the leading players.
This means precincts that have some 5,000 −10,000 researchers
and students, investment of over a billion dollars annually by all
the participants and a strong commitment to capital investment.
Some of our initial investment in resources research in Western
Australia shows us how the precincts concept can work. CSIRO
installed the bulk of its mineral exploration and petroleum and gas
research in WA in 2000 after the Western Australian Government
helped establish the Australian Resources Research Centre,
or ARRC at Kensington. Since then, the presence of CSIRO and
Curtin University at ARRC has helped attract more organisations
to the Centre. ARRC now includes the:
iVEC advanced computing centre
Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (WA:ERA)
Western Australian Geothermal Centre of Excellence
Centre of Excellence in 3D Mineral Mapping
Pawsey supercomputing facility
By working together, like-minded organisations have created
a critical mass of researchers and infrastructure that continues
to attract even more players. This now represents the largest
global investment in mineral R&D in the world and will become an
important investment in energy R&D. Our strategy is to continue
to build on this foundation.
Our challenges are no longer simple; we must develop our
capacity to model complex systems from all angles with the kind
of multidisciplinary science that we are driving in CSIRO and
university institutes. The next revolution will capitalise on the
opportunities that exist in the interface between areas such as
energy, climate change, water and mineral resources.
Collaboration and shared vision between industry and the
research communities are essential. We must focus on shared
understanding to build the critical mass needed to effectively
tackle these problems. We must also ensure that the costs, risks
and rewards are shared to deliver longer-term research programs
that focus on the longer-term sustainability of the industry and the
challenges unique to the Australian industry.
We are already moving towards the shared dream of a global-
scale resources research precinct inWA. Between CSIRO’s facilities
at Kensington and Waterford and other existing organisations’
facilities we already have an impressive grouping of effort.
Figure A
(over page) mentions a few of these organisations, and
this list would be even longer if we included all the industry
groups located in the area with this level of activity.
Western Australia already has the largest R&D activity in
minerals in the world, standing on the shoulders of earlier vision,
collaboration and support, and it has the potential to become a
global centre of resources innovation.
MININGRESEARCH INWA
DR MEGAN CLARK
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
CSIRO
moving into high gear
n a country the size of Australia, we must look
very carefully at how we invest in research and
development. We see other countries, many with
larger GDPs than ours, investing faster and deeper
into innovation. Unless we change the way we do
things, we will not remain globally competitive. We must face the
reality that Australia has the opportunity to have global standing
and scale in a limited number of research and development areas.
Looking at our areas of strength as a nation and considering
the future needs of the nation and humanity, we believe Australia
has the opportunity now to build five or six precincts of global
standing and scale. To realise this potential, as part of our 2011-
2015 strategy, CSIRO has been clear where we will join with others
in a shared vision to build these precincts of global standing and
where we will build national centres and vibrant regional sites. It
does require a shared vision with universities, research providers
and industry to create these Australian research precincts that
will build on existing talent and infrastructure, attract the best
researchers and lift the nation’s global science standing.
One of the global precincts that has been identified is
the Curtin/UWA/CSIRO hub at Kensington and Waterford.
I
CSIRO’S GAS-TO-LIQUIDS
RESEARCH HAS HAD
A BOOST WITH THE
COMMISSIONING OF
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST
SYNTHETIC FUELS
RESEARCH FACILITY
MINESITE 2011
35