There are a few things that Australians and the British have in common – a love of BBQs, the desire to bend it like Beckham, secretly watching a whole series of Bluey during naptime; and in the case of our researchers a passion to make the world a better place.
It is this joint passion that has led to a collaboration between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO. The purpose? To collaborate to increase the research and innovation impact of the two nations, making yesterday’s science fiction today’s reality.
By connecting the two research ecosystems, UKRI and CSIRO aim to address global challenges and drive innovations that not only benefit the UK and Australia but also contribute to the global community. This partnership underscores each country’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific research and supporting a sustainable and thriving future.
Already partnering in the areas of energy and space research, the two organisations have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU). This MoU will help to strengthen economic, innovation and research connections between Australia and the UK. It will also aid in meeting government priorities and ambitions to bring mutual value through increased science impact.
Collaborating for impact
UKRI CEO, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said like CSIRO, UKRI is dedicated to advancing knowledge, nurturing innovation, building deep partnerships to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
Ottoline said:
This partnership with CSIRO aligns perfectly with our strategy to amplify the impact of the research and innovation we support. By collaborating on key areas like earth observation and clean energy, we can deliver transformative solutions that tackle global challenges and enhance prosperity for both the UK and Australia.
This partnership not only strengthens our national capabilities but also fosters and enables a sustainable and prosperous future for our citizens and the global community.
CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Doug Hilton said the MoU enabled CSIRO and UKRI to work together to accelerate and scale impact across the research and innovation ecosystems, provide access to technical expertise not found in each other’s countries and enable the sharing of resources, equipment and facilities to drive change and bring mutual benefit to both countries.
Doug said:
Science and research are strengthened by broad networks and deep connections, so sharing those between CSIRO and UKRI will lift the benefit to both our nations.
CSIRO is proud to contribute to global research efforts to solve problems facing our environment, economy and people, delivering solutions that can lead to greater equality and prosperity for all.
These challenges are global challenges, and we can’t tackle them alone. Collaboration across the global research ecosystem is crucial to solving these challenges, pioneering future industries and delivering benefit to our communities.
Enabling collaboration
The MoU allows for a streamlined approach to collaboration between UKRI and CSIRO. Some of the programmes already in progress include:
AquaWatch
Australia’s AquaWatch system, developed to provide regular updates and forecasts for water quality, is the basis for the development of a similar system in the UK, following shared support and co-funding from the two countries’ space agencies.
The creation of AquaWatch UK is the first time the initiative will be rolled out by another country on a national scale, expanding on an initial test site at Plymouth Sound. The test site at Plymouth Sound was a collaboration between CSIRO and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) RAL Space laboratory. A second collaboration includes Aberystwyth University and CSIRO around the development of mapping tools for the condition of coastal ecosystems.
RAL Space is the UK’s national space laboratory with over 60 years of involvement with space missions covering fields such as climate science and solar observations. The broader development of AquaWatch UK will be led by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
Credit: Thomas Faull, E+ via Getty Images
The Energy Systems Catapult
The UK government, through Innovate UK and the Energy Systems Catapult, has provided CSIRO’s Smart Energy with £30,000 in-kind support to set up the National Energy Analysis Centre Living Lab. The living lab will be like a real-life energy laboratory in thousands of Australian homes. It will accelerate our pathway towards decarbonisation and foster innovation in the energy transformation.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Global Centers in Climate Change and Clean Energy
The NSF Global Centers programme is an ambitious initiative to fund international, interdisciplinary collaborative research centres. These centres will apply best practices of broadening participation and community engagement to develop use-inspired or applied research on climate change and clean energy, leading to clear benefits to society.
This round of the Global Centers programme is a collaboration between the NSF, CSIRO, UKRI, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Together, these agencies have pledged more than £60 million in investment in the NSF Global Centers programme over five years to tackle challenges posed by climate change as the world moves towards net zero.
Towards net zero
Australia and the UK are working together to achieve net zero emissions. Recently, the two countries funded seven green hydrogen projects through the Clean Tech Partnership, which was signed in 2021.
UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge team, with help from Innovate UK’s global team, is partnering with CSIRO’s Battery Manufacturing team in Melbourne and the Green Critical Minerals team in Perth. This partnership includes a visit from nine UK battery technology companies to Australia in early October.
They will participate in workshops and business meetings at CSIRO’s Clayton site in Melbourne, Brisbane’s new Battery Precinct and Perth’s Future Batteries Cooperative Research Centre.
This Global Business Innovation Programme aims to strengthen and expand collaboration between the UK and Australia in battery technology.
What could the future hold?
As UKRI and CSIRO look to deepen engagement – the possibilities for advancements across the fields of science, research and technology are endless.
By working towards shared goals, we can make life better for people, families, businesses and communities across the UK, Australia and the globe, thereby improving lives, creating jobs and driving economic growth.
Top image: Credit: franckreporter, E+ via Getty Images
Dr Doug Hilton Officer of the Order of Australia commenced as Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Chief Executive on 29 September 2023.
Dr Hilton is a molecular and cellular biologist and previously Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI).
At WEHI, his medical research focused on understanding how blood cells communicate and using this knowledge to improve disease treatments. He and his team held more than 20 patents and translated their research through collaboration with venture capitalists and the biopharmaceutical industry. Through an honorary appointment in the Zoology Department at University of Melbourne, he also studies a family of tiny day-flying moths involved in the pollination of Australian plants.
Beyond research, Dr Hilton has emphasised the importance of strong institutional cultures, and furthered diversity in science including as a member of the Champion of Change Coalition and a board member of Australians Investing in Women.