Australian Government invests $51 million in latest round of collaborative research projects
Novel energy and resources projects are amongst the recipients of the latest round of CRC-P funding, designed to fuel collaborative research initiatives set to transform industries and create jobs.
Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, has announced $51 million worth of funding under Round 15 of the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P), marking a significant investment in fostering innovation and addressing industry challenges.
With 21 projects selected, involving a total of 91 project partners nationwide, the initiative aims to boost collaboration between industry and research organizations. Among these partners, 60 are Australian industry players, with 49 being small or medium enterprises, alongside 26 Australian research organizations.
The funded projects cover a wide range of themes, from developing innovative recycling processes for plastic and tire waste to advancing wireless charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles.
Funded projects of interest to the energy and resources sectors include:
- EQ Plastics Pty Ltd: $3 million to develop an upcycling system to convert plastic and tire waste into high-value graphene.
- 1414 Degrees Limited: $2.5 million to demonstrate a breakthrough lower-carbon hydrogen production technology named "SiPHyR."
- The Trustee for JWR Group Trust: $3 million to develop an environmentally friendly dissolution technique to separate PVC from other components in waste.
- Oxleigh Pty Ltd received more than $2.74 million to develop a novel process using the ‘black mass’ from waste batteries into precursor material that can be re-used to manufacture new lithium-ion batteries.
- Ace Infrastructure Pty Ltd received $3 million to advanced wireless charging infrastructure to electrify heavy-duty vehicles.
Since its inception over 30 years ago, the CRC Program has been instrumental in driving research and development efforts in Australia. With over $5.8 billion invested in setting up 238 CRCs and 253 CRC Projects, the program has leveraged a further $17.4 billion in contributions from industry, research, government, and community organizations.
Minister Husic emphasised the importance of science-industry collaboration in driving innovation and creating job opportunities, saying, “Great ideas create great products, which create great jobs."
