The Australian Government's Innovation Report

Business, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council
The Business, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council (BIHECC) advises the Minister for
Education, Science and Training on ways to increase collaboration between the higher education sector and other
public and private business, industry, community and educational organisations.
Members have been drawn from across the business and academic sectors and bring with them enormous
experience in their respective fields.
The Council has developed a work programme for 2006-2008, which includes:
• engaging the higher education and business sectors in the development of an instrument specifically
tailored to assess the generic and employability skills of graduates;
• mapping the gaps in available knowledge about long-term graduate destinations and defining a
hypothesis to scope future work;
• setting priorities for projects for funding from the Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund and
providing advice on recommendations for future rounds;
• developing advice to the Minister on knowledge transfer;
• developing an overview of the current state of science and engineering infrastructure in universities
and exploring the extent to which alternative funding structures are being used or considered by
Australian universities; and
• proposing ways in which business and the higher education sector can contribute to the issues identified
in the science, engineering and technology skills audit.
BIHECC is subject to review in October 2009.
Innovative knowledge exchange
The Business, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council is working to identify best practice
in knowledge transfer and ensure Australia’s innovation system remains internationally competitive.
The council’s current work programme includes developing advice to the Minister for Education, Science
and Training on knowledge transfer, drawing on the high-level business, industry and higher education
expertise of its members. Knowledge exchange networks act as vital intermediaries in the innovation
cycle, putting researchers in contact with research users and vice versa.
In 2005, the council commissioned a report into knowledge exchange networks in Australia’s innovation
system. The report outlines the networks and organisations that exist in Australia for the exchange and
diffusion of knowledge from universities and research institutions to the wider community. It provides
case studies on effective best practice and outlines how knowledge exchange networks can provide links
to relevant resources, websites and potential business partners, and access to information about current
research and development news, activities and events.
The report identifies a number of good examples of effective knowledge exchange networks between
universities and research and development corporations supported by industry and government including
those operating in the rural animal and plant development sector and the mining industry. It concludes
that some of the most effective knowledge exchange networks, in terms of the transfer of knowledge
from the creators of knowledge to industry users, are those that are sponsored and supported by industry
through industry associations, for example, the InnovationXchange supported by the Australian Industry
Group and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources.
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