Issue 81, July / August 2010

Home

Philosophy

Information & Research

Technology Business
Issue 81, July / August 2010

1. New round of SAIIF

2. Clean coal projects share $13 million

3. $2.6 million for TCF projects

4. 12 new Retooling for Climate Change grants totaling $2.2m

5. $30m grant for CSL Broadmeadows facility

6. $2.2m for Commercialisation Australia projects

7. $1.1m for 4 new RFPIPP projects

8. $4.7 m for forest industries climate change research fund projects

9. $7.7 m for Climate Change Research Fund projects

10. $7.5 for automotive industry projects

11. CSIRO to invest $1 in Dyesol Ltd

12. Subscribe

1. New round of SAIIF

A third round of the South Australian Innovation & Investment Fund (SAIIF) will be held, with

applications closing on 10 September. On 9 July, two new grants of almost $2.6 million were

announced by Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, and SA Acting Deputy Premier, Paul Holloway.

After two rounds of SAIIF, it was thought that almost all funds had been allocated. However, not all

companies offered grants were able to proceed for a variety of reasons. This means that the fund has

approximately $10 million to allocate in a third round.

Updated lists of the grants that have been offered were also provided. Details of the 19 projects with

funding of over $19 million are shown below:

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN INNOVATION & INVESTMENT FUND (SAIIF) GRANTS
Company	Project Title	New Employment	Value of Grant
ROUND 1 (Updated list July 2010)
Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre	Provide integrated design & construction facility for manufacturing machinery	40	1,363,636
Australian Southern Exporters	Develop sardine value adding business	21	457,663
Broens Industries	Aerospace & defence component machining facility	63	2,272,727
Ferrocut Australia	Establish plate profile cutting facility	56	2,045,455
Intex Holdings	Develop world leading "bolt on" turbine technology	45	916,700
Levett Engineering	Expansion for supply to aerospace & defence sector	35	2,062,575
The Pipette Company	Expand to manufacture micro pipettes	31	335,943
Samaras Group	Improve capability to undertake manufacture of custom beam work	30	909,091
Round 1 Total		321	10,363,790
ROUND 2 (Updated list July 2010)
Astec Paints	Install new manufacturing equipment & measuring systems	12	338,636
Boart Longyear	Development of an integrated R&D, engineering, test and manufacturing facility	67	1,809,000
Central Diesel	Establish modern construction & assembly facility for manufacturing application generator sets	27	452,250
Digislide Holdings	Establish a technology innovation centre for a number of industry sectors, including an advanced opto-electronics facility	39	1,085,400
Long Distance Technologies	Expand & upgrade current telecommunications component manufacturing facility	34	248,737
Manuele Engineers	Construction of new fabrication facility	29	452,250
Maxiplas Pty Ltd	Establish advanced injection moulding facility	69	2,009,091
Modra Hayes	Construct mass production facility for manufacture of Modpods - demountable, flat pack accommodation & storage solutions	80	1,130,625
vivoPharm	Upgrade & expand vivoPharm's vivo pharmacology facility	5	227,273
Weeks Group	Expand manufacturing capability of Supaloc Eco Load Bearing Wall	17	545,455
Williams Laser Cutting & Fabrication	Expansion of current fabrication facility	25	545,455
Round 2 Total		404	8,844,171
Round 1 & 2 Total		725	19,207,961
Note: Value of grant excludes GST. Taken from DIISR grant listings.

The $40 million South Australia Innovation and Investment Fund was set up by the Australian and SA

governments in response to the closure of Mitsubishi’s Tonsley Park assembly plant in March last year.

It includes $10 million for intensive assistance to retrenched workers and $30 million to support industry

development.

Information on the fund, including application forms is available at http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/CommunityAssistance/SAIIF/Pages/saiif.aspx .

2. Ten NSW Clean Coal Projects share $13 million

On 8 June, NSW Minster for Mineral Resources, Paul McLeay announced that ten projects would receive a

total of over $13 million in grants from the NSW Clean Coal Fund.

A list of the successful projects is shown below.

NSW Clean Coal Fund Projects June 2010
Applicant	Brief description of project	Total value of project $	Grant approved $
Uni of Newcastle and GreenMag Group	Mineral carbonation	9,120,000	3,040,000
CSIRO (Dr Shi Su) Capture	Novel Capture & energy efficiency	863,410	613,711
Uni of Newcastle (Moghtaderi and Wall)	Chemical looping - oxyfuel	1,272,811	886,618
Uni of Newcastle (Webb)	Social research / public awareness	618,930	618,930
CSIRO (Dr Luke Connell)	Fugitive Emissions (open cut)	2,225,000	1,000,000
Centennial (Coal) Mandalong P/L	Fugitive Emissions (ventilation)	4,140,000	2,200,000
Uni of Newcastle (Donne)	Direct carbon fuel cell	1,006,351	608,719
ourSUN P/L	Combine Brayton Ranke Cycle II	1,044,545	159,200
CSIRO (Dr Paul Feron)	Capture Testing solvents	6,938,100	1,300,000
UCC Energy P/L	UCC burning efficiency	20,502,000	2,581,000
TOTAL		47,731,147	13,008,178

More details of the NSW Clean Coal Fund can be found at

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/minerals/resources/coal/clean-coal-fund

3. $2.6 m for TCF projects

On 14 July, Industry Minister, Kim Carr, announced 63 grants totaling $2.6 million for innovative projects

in the textile, clothing and footwear industries.

For details of the projects see the Minister’s media release at http://minister.innovation.gov.au/Carr/Pages/26MINGRANTSTOBOOSTINNOVATIONINTCFINDUSTRIES.aspx.

4. 12 new Retooling for Climate Change grants totaling $2.2m

According to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research, another 12 new grants under the

Retooling for Climate Change (RCC) have been approved recently. Under new arrangements, applications are

considered as they are received. As the table below shows, this brings the total funds allocated from this

program to almost $16.4m for 82 projects, meaning the average grant is around $200,000. The program

was originally allocated $75 m over 4 years, but this appears to have been cut by around $17m to only $58 m.

The Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research Budget Statements show expenditure of $15.3m

in 2009-10, the first full year of the program. Expenditure is expected to be $23.9m this financial year and

$15.8m in 2011-12, the last year of the project.

Retooling for Climate Change Grants to 16 July 2010
Company	Project Description	Amount ($)
Doral Mineral Sands Pty Ltd	Install energy efficient mineral processing equipment.	20,580
Cascade Brewery Company Pty ltd	Replace coal and diesel fired boilers with multi-fuel boilers.	500,000
Bickfords Australia Pty Ltd	Install energy efficient air compressor.	11,122
Techno-Plas Pty Ltd	Energy reduction project for high volume laboratory consumable manufacture.	409,400
Fresco Cheese Co Pty Ltd	Recycle and reuse water used in cheese manufacture	31,750
Detmold Packaging Pty Ltd	Redesign of production facility lighting stations and replace with high efficiency system.	38,925
New Castalloy Pty Ltd	Recovery and reuse of waste water	41,725
Rockcote Enterprises Pty Ltd	Install rainwater harvesting and treatment system.	69,455
Boss Engineering Pty Ltd	Capture rainwater for use in manufacturing facility	34,770
Ferrero Australasia Pty Ltd	Install 830kW natural gas fuelled co-generation system.	500,000
Gelita Australia Pty Ltd	Improved energy efficiency and water treatment for gelatine manufacture.	500,000
Rapid Aluminium Pty Ltd	Water recovery and reuse for powder coating pre-treatment production lines.	74,202
TOTAL 12 PROJECTS		2,231,929
TOTAL PROGRAM FUNDING TO DATE		16,407,173

The RCC Program is open for applications at any time. Details can found on Ausindustry website

5. $30 m grant for CSL Broadmeadows facility

On 16 July, Industry Minister, Kim Carr announced that CSL Ltd would receive a grant of $30m towards its

$235m project to increase its research and development capacity at its Broadmeadows, Melbourne facility.

6. $2.2 m for Commercialisation Australia projects

On 14 July, Industry Minister, Kim Carr announced that 11 projects would receive funding of $2.2 million

through Commercialisation Australia program. A list of the 11 projects is given in the following table.

Commercialisation Australia Grants & Loans - July 2010
Company	Project Description	Amount ($)
Kord Defence Pty Ltd	Develop mobile user interface for international defence markets.	250,000
Navisens Pty Ltd	Self contained human navigation for indoor and outdoor applications.	50,000
VOZ Corp Pty Ltd	Develop full face helmets with rear access.	50,000
Lockpost Pty Ltd	Revolutionary wire fencing system.	50,000
Australian BioRefining Pty Ltd	Acid/metal separation process for recovery of nickel.	272,261
Crucible Carbon Pyrolysis Pty Ltd	Crucible carbon pyrolysis system for conversion of timber industry biomass to gas.	685,099
JoinloxPty Ltd	Innovative, rapid mechanical joining and sealing system.	394,625
Athlomics Pty Ltd	Develop system for personalised monitoring of severe sepsis.	250,000
Re-Time Pty Ltd	Commercialise light therapy glasses for treatment of insomnia and related disorders.	20,200
Professor Thomas Banhazi	Development of precision livestock management systems.	50,000
Virtual Observer Pty Ltd	Development of software for searching of mobile video data.	130,700
TOTAL 11 PROJECTS		2,202,885

Funding of $1.35m for three of the projects are loans under the Early Stage Commercialisation component of

the scheme. Commercialisation Australia has offered 32 companies funding to date for a total commitment of

$11.8 million.

Funding is limited to companies with turnover less than $10m, or less than $20m for commercialisation loans.

Commercialisation Australia offers:

Skills and Knowledge support to help build the skills, knowledge and connections required to
commercialise new ideas. Applicants must provide 20% of the funding for these. This includes:

Up to $50,000 to pay for specialist advice and services.
Up to $200,000 over two years to assist with the recruitment of experienced executives.

Proof of Concept grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to test the commercial viability of a product,
process or service. Applicants must provide 50% of the funding.
Early Stage Commercialisation repayable grants of $250,000 to $2 million to undertake
activities to develop a new product, process or service to the stage where it can be taken to market.
Applicants must provide 50% of the funding.

Details of Commercialisation Australia’s programs can be found at www.commercialisationaustralia.gov.au

7. $1.1 m for 4 more RFPIPP projects

Four new projects have been awarded grants under Round 2 of the Regional Food Producers Innovation &
Productivity Program (RFPIPP). Round 2 closed in August 2009 and there have been long delays in awarding of
grants.
Although there has not been any announcement, details of the following four projects are available on the DAFF
web site.

Ricegrowers Ltd (NSW) will receive $201,000 to design and commercialise new technology to enable the
inclusion of cereals, grains and seeds into rice cakes.
The Trustee for Taste Master Trust (SA) will receive $730,834 to develop the science of drying and
encapsulation of flavours and food ingredients.
Southern Light Herbs (VIC) will receive $11,000 to further develop and manufacture a beverage roasting,
cooling and weighing system.
Laragon Pty Ltd (SA) will receive $176,364 to design and develop technology for automating the process
used to verify specifications and grades of almonds.

The future of this program is understood to be under review. For more information go to
www.daff.gov.au/agriculture-food/food/foodinnovation.

8. $4.7 m for forest industries climate change research fund projects

On 3 May, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, Tony Burke announced that 20 projects would receive
funding under the FICCRF. Details of the projects are shown in the table below.

Forest Industries Climate Change Research Fund Grants June 2010
Company	Project Description	Amount ($)
Department of Industry & Investment NSW	Examine carbon storage in paper and composite wood products in landfill.	300,000
Department of Industry & Investment NSW	Quantify soil carbon stocks and dynamics following afforestation of agricultural lands with Pinus radiata.	250,000
CSIRO	Assess the environmental and economic opportunities and constraints associated with bioenergy production from biomass resources in two prospective regions of Australia.	420,000
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation	Examine mitigation of climate change through the sustainable production and use of forest biomass for commercial scale bioenergy production.	248,700
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation	Examine mitigation of climate change through the sustainable production and use of forest biomass for bioenergy production - identifying native forest species as potential biofuel crops.	100,000
Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council	Examine accounting for carbon in harvested wood products in an emissions trading scheme.	65,000
The University of Tasmania	Examine the use of permanent forestry plots to understand the possible effects of climate change on Australia's production forest estate.	398,054
The University of Tasmania	Examine forest biosecurity and preparedness for climate change.	149,966
University of Western Sydney	The Hawkesbury Forest Experiment: providing the missing information for decision support systems to manage forests under rising carbon dioxide and global warming.	400,000
University of New England	Examine conversion of eucalypt forestry waste residues to biofuels.	199,089
Private Forests Tasmania	Examine Carbon Plantations - extending R&D to best management practices for carbon sequestration, wood production and new investment opportunities on private land in Tasmania.	255,671
CSIRO	Examine climate adaptation strategies to manage drought risk and mortality in existing and new forest plantations in Australia.	509,936
CSIRO	Examine potential economic and social implications of a carbon market for production forestry and biodiverse carbon plantings.	249,952
GHD Pty Ltd	Undertake an Australian plantation forestry climate change amplified bushfire risk study.	300,000
The Southern Tree Breeding Association Incorporated	Examine genetic resources moving with climate change.	299,994
South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation	Examine carbon sequestration rates and biomass production rates from agroforestry in lower rainfall zones (300-650 mm) of South Australia.	50,000
The University of the Sunshine Coast	Undertake a forestry adaptation and sequestration alliance.	300,000
South East Fibre Exports Pty Ltd	Undertake a sawmill biomass fuel study.	66,467
Private Forests Tasmania	Undertake estimating, modeling and management of carbon at the stand and property level for planted forests.	105,000
Oil Mallee Association of Australia Inc	Undertake pooling of national mallee data for inclusion in NCAT.	100,000
Total funding		4,767,829

As the FICCRF has a budget allocation of $5 million it is assumed there will be no further rounds. For more
information go to http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/national/forest_industries_climate_change_research_fund

9. $7.7 m for Climate Change Research Fund projects

Seven projects have been awarded a total of $7.7 million under Round 2 of DAFF’s Climate Change
Research Fund. The 7 successful projects are shown in the table below.

Climate Change Research Fund Grants June 2010
Company/Organisation	Project Description	Amount ($)
Horticulture Australia Ltd	Carbon and sustainability – A demonstration of how they relate and how they can be managed within the Australian Vegetable Industry	503,000
Dairy Australia	Mitigation and Adaptation in The Australian Dairy Industry	1,950,000
Meat and Livestock Australia	On-farm demonstration of best practice options for climate change mitigation and adaptation for beef producers across northern Australia	900,000
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation	Methane Recovery and Use in Agriculture	602,300
Gelita Australia	Demonstrating the minimisation of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from food processing by-products by implementing best practice management of organic	304,375
Future Farm Industries CRC	Drought-hardy and carbon-conscious grazing systems: the use of forage shrubs to exploit a changing and variable climate whilst reducing methane emissions from livestock	701,000
Grains Research and Development Corporation	National Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative	2,800,200
TOTAL FUNDING		7,760,875

Together with $11 million provided in Round 1 and some other projects funded through this program,
there is no further funding available. For more information go to DAFF website.

10. $7.5 m for Automotive industry projects

Century Yuasa Batteries Pty Ltd (Qld) will receive $996,327 through the Green Car Innovation Fund to develop

an efficient lead acid starting battery for motor vehicles. GM Holden will receive $1,009,758 through the

Automotive Supply Chain Development Program (ASCDP) to support collaborative efforts with suppliers. Ford

Motor Company of Australia will also receive $1,009,758 through the ASCDP for similar activities. Broens Industries

Pty Ltd will receive $4.5m through the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program to strengthen the

automotive components supply chain.

11. CSIRO to invest $1m in Dyesol Ltd

Dyesol Ltd announced on 30 June that it had entered into an agreement with CSIRO for a collaborative project to

develop higher performing dyes dye solar cells. Under the arrangement, CSIRO will invest up to $1.17m in Dyesol

from its Australian Growth Partnership program.

For more information go to: www.dyesol.com.