Maximising diffusion of innovative products on public infrastructure projects: A qualitative management study of open innovation systems. Australia's infrastructure in water, energy, health, education, transport and communication is the platform for our future prosperity and growth. In response to an identified deficit, Australian governments are embarking on major investment programs. Our ability to deliver these programs efficiently and effectively relies heavily on the promotion of innovation ....Maximising diffusion of innovative products on public infrastructure projects: A qualitative management study of open innovation systems. Australia's infrastructure in water, energy, health, education, transport and communication is the platform for our future prosperity and growth. In response to an identified deficit, Australian governments are embarking on major investment programs. Our ability to deliver these programs efficiently and effectively relies heavily on the promotion of innovation in the delivery phase. This study contributes to this major challenge by identifying how diffusion of innovative products can be maximised on infrastructure projects, focusing on knowledge flows within open innovation systems. The study will provide tools to optimise delivery of a world-class and integrated infrastructure network to meet Australia's future social and economic needs.Read moreRead less
Leveraging research and development (R and D) for the Australian built environment. This project will evaluate impacts, diffusion mechanisms and uptake of research and development (R and D) in the Australian building and construction industry. Building on a retrospective analysis and industry consultation, a future-focussed industry roadmap will be developed to establish R and D policies to inform and improve R and D investment effectiveness.
Creating sustainable employment for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups . This project aims to address long-term unemployment and labour market exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by generating new employer-led solutions. The project expects to create, with employers, successful strategies for recruiting disadvantaged workers into better quality jobs, and to co-produce best practice employer engagement toolkits and minimum job quality standards. Anticipated outcomes include increasi ....Creating sustainable employment for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups . This project aims to address long-term unemployment and labour market exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by generating new employer-led solutions. The project expects to create, with employers, successful strategies for recruiting disadvantaged workers into better quality jobs, and to co-produce best practice employer engagement toolkits and minimum job quality standards. Anticipated outcomes include increasing the success of government-funded employment programs by improving employment opportunities and reducing cycling between work and welfare. Significant benefits for disadvantaged groups, businesses and society will result in increased employee wellbeing, organisational performance and economic competitiveness.Read moreRead less
A cross-national comparison of novel market-pull technology transfer programs which facilitate research organisation commercialisation through dynamic SMEs. This research will contribute to a more competitive and innovative economy in two ways. First it will provide a basis for improved public policy to stimulate technology uptake by small business, which is critical for small business growth and innovation. Second, it will identify innovative policies to facilitate the uptake of university rese ....A cross-national comparison of novel market-pull technology transfer programs which facilitate research organisation commercialisation through dynamic SMEs. This research will contribute to a more competitive and innovative economy in two ways. First it will provide a basis for improved public policy to stimulate technology uptake by small business, which is critical for small business growth and innovation. Second, it will identify innovative policies to facilitate the uptake of university research, to enhance the contribution of universities to the economy. The proposed research is original because it focuses on the way in which the technology needs of small firms can be met by existing university knowledge and technologies. Prior research on technology transfer focuses on pushing university research out to industry through university spin-offs or university and large firm linkages.Read moreRead less
Comprehensive Australian Study of Entrepreneurial Emergence (CAUSEE). New business creation is a major source of new jobs and an important component of our nation's innovation system. The project will permanently transform the understanding of business creation in Australia. In contribution to NRP 3, high-technology new ventures will be over-sampled and given particular attention. The research is part of a strategy to create a world class research centre in entrepreneurship (as CI 1 previously h ....Comprehensive Australian Study of Entrepreneurial Emergence (CAUSEE). New business creation is a major source of new jobs and an important component of our nation's innovation system. The project will permanently transform the understanding of business creation in Australia. In contribution to NRP 3, high-technology new ventures will be over-sampled and given particular attention. The research is part of a strategy to create a world class research centre in entrepreneurship (as CI 1 previously had a key role in doing in Sweden). Frontier knowledge in this area contributes to 'promoting an innovation culture and economy' and facilitates 'maximizing Australia's benefits from investments in research, particularly related to commercialisation of 'Breakthrough science' and 'Frontier technologies'.Read moreRead less
Firm Early Development and Performance (FEDP): A Panel Study. Research in several developed economies has shown that small, independent firms - and especially the new entries - contribute disproportionately to innovation, job creation and regional economic well-being. The project will substantially improve our understanding of successful development pathways across a range of contexts facing young Australian firms, and ultimately lead to improved business outcomes and economic and social benefit ....Firm Early Development and Performance (FEDP): A Panel Study. Research in several developed economies has shown that small, independent firms - and especially the new entries - contribute disproportionately to innovation, job creation and regional economic well-being. The project will substantially improve our understanding of successful development pathways across a range of contexts facing young Australian firms, and ultimately lead to improved business outcomes and economic and social benefits. In contribution to NRP 3.5, promoting an innovation culture and economy, high-technology firms will be over-sampled and given particular attention. The research is part of a strategy to create a world class research centre in entrepreneurship.Read moreRead less
What facilitates or hinders the discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities? A systematic comparison of the independent and corporate contexts. Every opportunity that is discovered but not exploited represents significant unrealised value for the entrepreneur and society-at-large. By providing clear implications for managers and entrepreneurs as to which factors will facilitate and constrain the successful exploitation of discovered opportunities, this research will contribute to ....What facilitates or hinders the discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities? A systematic comparison of the independent and corporate contexts. Every opportunity that is discovered but not exploited represents significant unrealised value for the entrepreneur and society-at-large. By providing clear implications for managers and entrepreneurs as to which factors will facilitate and constrain the successful exploitation of discovered opportunities, this research will contribute to increasing the discovery of technologies as well as their successful commercialisation. It will promote a more vibrant, innovative culture at companies and within Australian society. In particular our focus of the mining sector will benefit the Australian economy, as this sector is of major economic importance.Read moreRead less
The relationship between working arrangements and well-being in regional coal-mining communities. Our project aims to strengthen Australia's social fabric and help prevent psychological health problems by examining social capital in Australian coal mining communities in a holistic way. We integrate these aims with analysis of working and employment arrangements (including contracting and working hours), occupational health and safety and psychological well-being. Issues for groups that have not ....The relationship between working arrangements and well-being in regional coal-mining communities. Our project aims to strengthen Australia's social fabric and help prevent psychological health problems by examining social capital in Australian coal mining communities in a holistic way. We integrate these aims with analysis of working and employment arrangements (including contracting and working hours), occupational health and safety and psychological well-being. Issues for groups that have not been systematically considered before including women miners, long distance commute workers and miners' families, are to be addressed in this large scale Australian survey. This project helps strengthen Australian economic fabric by tackling some major labour problems facing the coal industry. Read moreRead less
Collective action and collaborative governance in crisis situations. This project aims at tackling the challenges that coordinated collective action faces in situations of complex crisis. It will generate novel scholarly knowledge that addresses the question of how a heterogeneous collective of actors that transcends organizational and institutional boundaries can establish, sustain, restore, and organize the capacity to act and make appropriate decisions in crisis situations. The expected outco ....Collective action and collaborative governance in crisis situations. This project aims at tackling the challenges that coordinated collective action faces in situations of complex crisis. It will generate novel scholarly knowledge that addresses the question of how a heterogeneous collective of actors that transcends organizational and institutional boundaries can establish, sustain, restore, and organize the capacity to act and make appropriate decisions in crisis situations. The expected outcomes include an improved theoretical understanding of multi-actor collaborative governance in crisis situations by identifying obstacles and governance gaps that need to be overcome. This should provide significant benefits in terms of national and international response strategies to crisis situations of various kind.Read moreRead less
How Australian industries are pooling innovation resources and why this matters. Common pooling of resources for innovation is an emerging phenomenon in several Australian industries. This project will seek to explain why this is occurring, using insights from economic theory, and how pooling is harnessed for wider public good.