Melbourne, Australia – Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA), the peak body for industry engagement, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship professionals in publicly funded research organisations, is excited to announce its partnership with the Australian Government Department of Education to improve commercialisation metrics through SCOPR (The Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research).

Through this partnership, the Department of Education will provide KCA with funding and support for SCOPR and collaborative work to ensure the survey produces high quality data which will help inform policy, programs, and engagement with researchers, institutions, and industry. The partnership demonstrates the Australian government’s recognition of the value of SCOPR and its commitment to support the public research community.

“We regard this as a significant milestone and an accreditation by a key government department of the value of SCOPR,” said KCA Chair, Mr Quin Chang. “KCA maintains its commitment to continue and hopefully expand the participation by all organisations conducting publicly funded research in Australia and New Zealand.”

First Assistant Secretary, Research Division at the Department of Education, Mr Dom English, said the survey provides opportunity for feedback, along with a greater variety of commercialisation measures.

“The Government, universities and the wider research sector all have a mutual interest in being able to demonstrate the impact of the world-class research we produce,” Mr English said.

“With such an important agenda to drive collaboration, workforce mobility, and appetite for commercialisation, this survey will help build the evidence base to ensure our programs deliver the behavioural and cultural change, as well as success, that we’re setting out to achieve.

“Through this partnership, the Department and KCA will be working closely with universities to increase their participation and engagement and maximise the quality and comprehensiveness of the information provided.”

SCOPR is overseen by a committee chaired by Mr John Grace AO, with support of expert professionals to conduct the survey. KCA’s role is to enable individual organisations assess their research performance while the aggregate commercialisation metrics emerging from the survey results help to highlight their economic contribution and inform policy development.

About KCA

Established in 1978, KCA is the peak body for industry engagement, technology transfer and entrepreneurship professionals in publicly funded research organisations. KCA is a founding member of the global Alliance of Technology Transfer Professionals (ATTP) and provider of RTTP accreditation in Australia and New Zealand

Department of Education

The Department of Education’s University Research Commercialisation Action Plan (Action Plan) outlines the Australian Government’s reform agenda to increase research commercialisation in Australia. It aims to drive collaboration between Australia’s universities and businesses to release the untapped potential of Australian research.

Contacts

KCA
Mr John Grace
email: scopr@techtransfer.org.au
ph: 0402033205

Department of Education
Media Team
email: media@education.gov.au
ph: 02 6240 7300