The NSW Government is calling for expressions of interest from universities, research organisations, industry, consortiums and NSW-based NCRIS (National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy) facilities for open-access projects to be supported by a new AU$ 8 million Tech Central Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund.
The Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade stated that the fund will help realise proposals that provide significant physical and digital infrastructure to the Tech Central Precinct, expand technical expertise, collaboration and commercialisation and otherwise build capacity across its target industries and research areas.
The Minister also noted that Tech Central boasts a tech giant as an anchor tenant and is home to three world-class universities, a world-leading research hospital and over 100 research institutes and Centres of Excellence. However, to translate the region’s R&D fortitude into even more tangible outcomes that deliver for the NSW economy, the Government is working to offer wider access to high-tech facilities, equipment and staff, and this fund is about just that.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology and Minister for Skills and Training noted that the fund was focused on providing specialised equipment, skilled experts and collaborative programs with a focus on existing industry and research strengths across the precinct.
The Tech Central Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund is focused on expanding access to equipment and expertise from quantum computing to robotics, biotech, cyber security, creative industries and more. It was also designed to drive the collaboration of NSW’s leading tech community with all parts of industry and academia.
The move is about delivering innovation, R&D and industry talent that will support the translation of world-class research into commercial outcomes, new technologies, services and globally competitive cutting-edge industries.
Competitive project funding is anticipated to vary between AU$ 500,000 and AU$ 5 million per project, with a focus on supporting proposals that have a specialised physical or digital expenditure. Expressions of interest will be accepted until 5 pm AEST Friday 17 June 2022.
As the future focal point of Sydney’s innovation and technology community, Tech Central aims to develop a vibrant innovation and technology precinct in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, with strong links to international markets, Greater Sydney, and the rest of NSW.
Home to the Sydney Quantum Academy and future Space Industry Hub, Tech Central will future-proof and diversify the New South Wales economy and cement its position as a leader in:
Tech Central will provide up to 250,000 square metres of space for technology companies. The NSW Government is also providing a funding package of AU$ 48.2 million that has kick-started development and a tech giant is confirmed, an anchor tenant, will launch its headquarters in the precinct and bring with it more than 4,000 employees.
Moreover, top-ranked nearby institutions including the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and CSIRO’s Data61 are looking to collaborate further with businesses on joint research, commercialisation and graduate programs.
India recently launched a single national portal for biotech researchers and start-ups that are seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development projects. The Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP) will allow stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through a unique BioRRAP ID.
According to the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, the portal is expected to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation and enhance accountability, transparency, and efficacy in the functioning of agencies that regulate and issue permissions for biological research.
BioRRAP is the first public mechanism that tracks requisite regulatory approvals for research proposals online. The portal will keep researchers notified on the stage of their application in terms of regulatory clearances. It allows users to see preliminary information on all research work carried out by a particular researcher/organisation.
Singh pointed out that other than biotechnology, biodiversity research, the latest methods of ecological conservation, and bio-surveys are gaining momentum in India due to the effect of climate change on them. Research in various biological fields is continuously expanding, supported by grants from both the public and private sectors. Many of these projects fall under the purview of regulatory agencies that must first approve them before they can be launched. BioRRAP makes the approval process easier and quicker.
India is poised to become a global bio-manufacturing hub and will figure among the top five countries of the world by 2025. Biotechnology has fast emerged as an academic and livelihood avenue for youth in India. There are over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies currently active in the country. By 2025, the contribution of the Indian biotechnology industry to the global biotechnology market is expected to grow to 19% from 3% in 2017. The bio economy’s contribution to the national GDP has also grown steadily in the past years to 2.7% in 2020 from 1.7% in 2017.
The COVID-pandemic highlighted the need to link research applications submitted to various regulatory agencies for approval as well as the need to have a repository of the research works being undertaken in the public and private sectors. This not only helps to understand India’s scientific strength and expertise but to formulate policies to support and bolster scientific innovation.
Earlier this week, the Ministry for Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology (MietY) recently launched a portal for the centralised right of way (RoW) approvals called GatiShakti Sanchar. It enables telecom service providers (TSPs) and infrastructure providers (IPs) to apply for RoW permissions to lay down optical fibre cables and set up mobile towers. It is a collaborative institutional mechanism between central, state, and union territory governments, local bodies, and service providers, as reported by OpenGov Asia.
As all applicants can apply at a single common website, the portal makes the process of RoW permissions and the subsequent approvals faster and more efficient. This, in turn, could help rollout 5G services more quickly, for which base transceiver stations (BTS) are installed at short intervals, an official at the launch event noted. The portal has a dashboard displaying state and district-wise pendency statuses. It also offers automated alerts on application processing updates and centralised help desk availability.
Western Sydney will be at the heart of Australia’s high-tech manufacturing capability with the investment of AU$ 260 million in a national-first shared-use research facility to be built on the doorstep of the new Western Sydney International Airport. The full-scale Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) will be the focal point of the new Bradfield City Centre, the 115ha urban and employment area next to the airport.
The region’s Premier stated that the AMRF will be at the leading edge of Australia’s advanced manufacturing revolution helping to strengthen the region’s economy now and into the future. The Premier stated that the government is securing a brighter future for families and the country, right here in Western Sydney. The NSW Government is building what matters to make Western Sydney an even better place to live, work, learn, play and raise a family.
The AMRF will create new high-paying jobs of the future in Western Sydney by making Bradfield City Centre the national capital of advanced manufacturing bringing industry and universities together. The Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade and Minister for Western Sydney said the AMRF was planned to be operational in 2026.
It was noted that Western Sydney has one of the largest concentrations of manufacturing businesses in Australia. The AMRF will allow manufacturers from Western Sydney the support to transition to new ways of doing business, creating the high-value components for the next generation of space, aerospace, defence and medical technologies.
This means a greater number of jobs and further investment into Western Sydney. However, more importantly, the move places Western Sydney at the centre of some of the biggest global industrial trends of this century, the Minister said.
The region’s Treasurer stated that the facility will change the face of manufacturing in Australia on the doorstep of the new International Airport. He noted that the high-tech machines that are being purchased will provide businesses and researchers in Western Sydney access to some of the most advanced manufacturing technologies in the world. This investment will return dividends for the taxpayers of NSW through private investment and premium jobs as the new city and industries grow together.
Modelled on examples of successful precincts overseas, such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield UK, the AMRF will have a manufacturing hall and collaborative workspaces. It will bring together businesses, engineers and researchers to prove out new technologies, scale up and commercialise.
The Western Parkland City Authority will also be releasing the first of an AU$ 23 million package of tenders for advanced manufacturing equipment to be installed in the pilot of the AMRF due to open in 2023. The first tender package, released this week by the Western Parkland City Authority, is for precision additive manufacturing equipment to be used in the aerospace, defence, automotive and medical industries.
Over the next 20 years, Australia’s manufacturing industry will evolve into a highly integrated, collaborative and export-focused ecosystem that provides high-value customised solutions within global value chains. The sector will focus on pre-production (design, R&D) and post-production (after-sales services) value-adding, sustainable manufacturing and low volume, high margin customised manufacturing.
There are immense strategic growth opportunities for Australia’s manufacturing sector. Turning them into reality will require significant technological innovation by public and private research communities. The key science and technology areas include:
Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) expressed its readiness for the implementation of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). It was tasked to develop an account registration system for digital start-ups and service providers. Digital service accounts will be linked to state processes, such as tax rules, to expand the services offered to digital enterprises in Thailand.
After being delayed since 2019, Thailand’s first-ever law on personal data protection will go into effect on 1 June 2022. The law defines the responsibility enterprises have regarding the collecting and processing of personal data. It is anticipated that the government will grant a grace period for SMEs to comply with the new law.
There are still certain distinctive Thai perspectives in the law, particularly with relation to consent. In general, the PDPA’s data protection obligations apply to all organisations that collect, use, or disclose personal data in Thailand or of Thai residents, regardless of whether they are formed or recognised under Thai law, and regardless of whether they are residents or have a physical presence in Thailand.
This extraterritorial scope of the PDPA constitutes a substantial increase in Thailand’s data protection duties to include all processing operations involving data subjects located in Thailand.
The PDPA is projected to alter the landscape of personal data protection in Thailand if implemented. The law specifies that data controllers and processors that use personal data must obtain agreement from the owners and use the information only for specified purposes. The PDPA levies administrative fines of up to THB 5 million and criminal fines of up to THB 1 million for violations.
Recently an enforcement seminar was held to showcase the Health Link Platform, a pioneering project on personal data protection practices. It was attended by some key officials from the government, public and private sectors, and all relevant industries to make awareness and to be able to comply with personal data protection legislation.
The Health Link Project was launched in 2021 to integrate patient health data across hospitals to provide physicians with access to patient records. Currently, it has a total of 150 hospitals in the network and over 100,000 people use it. The goal was to invite more than 200 hospitals to be part of it before 2022 ends and to be used by almost the population in Thailand.
DEPA Plans to Promote the Digital Economy in Nakhon Ratchasima Province
In addition, DEPA and Nakhon Ratchasima Province are moving on with the brainstorming session on their digital economy promotion strategy, which was attended by several government agencies, commercial sectors, and other organisations.
The meeting approved the (draught) digital economy promotion plan to assist Nakhon Ratchasima Province in achieving its development goal of becoming “The Centre of the Communication Network Ecotourism and Arts and Culture of the Region Agricultural and Industrial Innovations and a High-Quality Society.”
Upskilling and reskilling employees for careers in the digital age will be the focus of the digital economy promotion plan. Promoting the use of digital technology by enterprises and community organisations to boost revenue and the worth of goods and services.
Creating an environment conducive to the growth of innovation and digital technology in order to foster the emergence of Digital Provider entrepreneurs in the region, including the development of infrastructure, the construction of an information platform, and the promotion of cybersecurity initiatives such as Smart City, City Data Platform, and Intelligent Operation Centre.
DEPA is now preparing for the project that will drive the digital economy promotion plan in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Through Budget 2022, the Government has announced NZ$ 40 million to create an RNA Technology Development Platform connecting what happens in the lab with what is needed in the field. This will look to build domestic capabilities, bring together those already working on RNA, address issues such as technology transfer, strengthen international research and development collaborations, and build commercial partnerships in areas such as production.
As a next step, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will seek agreement from Ministers on a set of high-level priorities that the Platform will be tasked to deliver. This will reflect the needs of the region’s research community as well as industry partners while contributing to the objective of supporting future pandemic preparedness for New Zealand.
Following this, MBIE will run an open and transparent procurement process which will identify a host or hosts to manage the Platform on a day-to-day basis. The host will be expected to engage with a wider consortium of partners to determine how to deliver on the identified priorities. Further details on this process are expected in due course.
Researchers and businesses working in the rapidly developing field of RNA technology will benefit from a new research and development platform, funded in Budget 2022.RNA is a potentially transformative technology. Its significant impact has already been observed through the development of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 to protect those who live here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
There is also a lot of potential to produce new vaccines, treatments and diagnostics that support well-being and better health outcomes in other areas such as cancer, and autoimmune and neurological disorders.
The New Zealand Minister of Housing stated that RNA technology offers an opportunity to develop applications in animal health, agriculture and aquaculture. Thus, this investment is especially important to build our ability domestically to respond to future pandemics should we need to.
An investment of NZ$ 40.7 million over four years will allow New Zealand to:
It was noted that an RNA platform will enable New Zealand researchers to be at forefront of global efforts by increasing domestic and international collaborations. The aim is to ensure that New Zealand begins investing in this now, bringing together key players across the industry, and unlocking and developing international relationships. This will complement the investment the Government has already made in managing infectious diseases.
Occasionally, New Zealand needs vaccines that can’t be sourced from global suppliers, such as for meningococcal disease or rheumatic fever. Developing domestic RNA capability will help the nation better respond to the health needs of New Zealanders. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Strategic Science Investment Fund will support the RNA platform.
Presidential Staffer of Indonesia Angkie Yudistia emphasised that people with “functional limitations” have the fundamental right to obtain population documents to access all public services in a variety of fields.
These services include healthcare, social assistance, education, as well as a variety of projects that offer financial incentives to businesses, economic recovery programmes at the national level, and other programmes run by both the government and private organisations. The following step is to spread awareness of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that are owned and operated by these people with “functional limitations.”
“I would like to thank the Ministry of SOEs [Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises] through its ecosystem which has helped create an inclusive economy, especially for people with disabilities,” Angkie said.
She acknowledged that the realisation of an inclusive economy is a priority that needs to be pushed so that it can be immediately implemented in accordance with the regulations that are currently in place. Moreover, she requested the Provincial Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta to work in conjunction with the Population and Civil Registration Office to expedite the collection of data pertaining to people with “functional limitations.”
The Yogyakarta Provincial Government views the partnership with each other, including the collection of data on people with disabilities, as a very positive development. Furthermore, Angkie referred to Government Regulation Number 70 of 2019 on Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Respect, Protection, and Fulfilment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as the regulation that oversees their country’s Master Plan for Persons with Disabilities.
In order to take one of the concrete steps toward the goal of making Indonesia more accessible to people with disabilities, the Inclusive Indonesia Synergy Movement was launched in the form of a synergy between the Indonesian government, the private sector, organisations, and also people with disabilities.
This movement’s goal is to make Indonesia more inclusive of people with disabilities. We expect that different multi-sectors will be able to help one other through this synergy in order to maximise the capabilities of people who have disabilities.
She expressed her gratitude for the various training, apprenticeships, and assistance for entrepreneurial endeavours that have been organised by the Ministry of SOEs ecosystem and are presently being conducted out in Yogyakarta for over 200 persons with disabilities.
The goal of this project is to realise disability independence in the economic sector so that no one is left behind in the growth of the country. It is anticipated that this will serve as a pilot project for several multi-sectors. The commitment of the government to defend and respect the rights of people with disabilities has been given a tangible form with the creation of the National Disabilities Commission.
The establishment of the commission is also a symbol of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s commitment to the implementation of Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities and Presidential Regulation Number 68 of 2020 on the National Disabilities Commission. Both pieces of legislation were passed under his administration.
The establishment of the commission is a step in the process of ensuring the protection and fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities based on equal rights as citizens of Indonesia. This will be accomplished via the establishment of the commission. They can partake in the benefits of development while also contributing to the growth of the nation. The Indonesian government has issued a call to action to encourage everyone to assist the commission in carrying out its duties and responsibilities.
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has launched the “IPOPHL Learning Activities Workspace” – ILAW – as part of its digital transformation journey, making it the first intellectual property (IP) office in Southeast Asia to offer an online IP learning system to promote IP awareness.
According to Rowel S. Barba, Director General of IPOPHL, ILAW is part of the IP Academy and strives to safeguard the health and safety of stakeholders during the pandemic, as well as the ease of everyone who wants to learn IP.
ILAW is aligned with IPOPHL’s aim to create an IP-conscious Philippines through balanced and effective IP learning and education. This, in turn, will promote innovation and creativity among our people and drive more inclusive socio-economic growth and development in the country.
– Rowel S. Barba, Director General, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines
In the future, the IP Academy, the national centre for IP education and professionalisation, wants to collaborate with educational institutions, government organisations, and worldwide partners through ILAW. The IP Academy, through ILAW, corresponds with IPOPHL’s BRIGHT Strategic Goals and intends to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ IP learning activities.
Currently, ILAW offers introductory courses on intellectual property, trademarks, copyright, and patents. The courses include lecture slides, interactive games, and video presentations that are entirely in Filipino.
Visitors can also search for and register for upcoming IPOPHL-hosted master courses aimed at more advanced IP learners. Over 1,000 people have registered on the ILAW platform thus far, including foreign registrants from China, Sri Lanka, Palestine, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Several government agencies lauded IPOPHL such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), WIPO Academy, ASEAN Secretariat, Philippine Trade Training Centre – Global MSME Academy (PTTC-GMEA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Global IP Academy all sent messages of support to IPOPHL.
The ILAW reaffirms IPOPHL’s commitment to integrating IP awareness knowledge and education with IP human resource development and to providing in-depth IP training to varied stakeholders in the Philippines, including teachers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, creators, inventors, women and youth.
IPOPHL Promotes Gender Inclusivity and Enhances National Innovation
Meanwhile, IPOPHL has pledged to do more to empower women to foster innovation in the Philippines. In addition, the agency developed the Juana Patent and Juana Design Protection Incentive Programmes (JPIP) to encourage women inventors and designers to participate in the country’s innovation sector.
Because the pandemic heightened the risks for vulnerable groups such as women, the JPIP arrives at an opportune time to aid them in recovering from the pandemic’s economic and livelihood losses by assisting them in capitalising on their ingenuity and protecting their intellectual property.
The JPIP will waive certain expenses for approved applications, expanding IPOPHL’s women’s programmes from the Juana Make a Mark Programme.
The new initiative will let women inventors and innovative, women-led MSMEs and start-ups save more money by waiving application, publication, and substantive examination expenses. JPIP-processed applications will also be prioritised and sent through IPOPHL’s fast lanes.
IPOPHL’s innovation initiatives aided the Philippines’ ranking in a recent WIPO statistic that rated nations based on the proportion of women inventors who applied under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) — the international method for patent protection.
As the second-most populous country in this WIPO ranking, the Philippines had women inventors account for 38% of all PCT applications processed through IPOPHL, increasing their contribution to 22% by 2020. To raise women’s knowledge of the new programme, IPOPHL has recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Four major strategies on the Food Services Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025 have been revealed recently during its launching led by Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry fostering innovation and internationalisation as well as developing native regional brands.
The Food Services industry plays a vital role in our economy and contributes to the vibrancy of the lifestyle scene in Singapore. We want to help food services companies capture the strong consumer demand locally and, in the region, brought on by changing consumption patterns and trends in areas such as wellness and sustainability.”
– Dilys Boey, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise SG-Lifestyle & Consumer, Food and Agritech
Boey added that to be successful in this extremely competitive field, they encourage businesses to be daring and creative in their exploration of new concepts and business models. The ITM 2025 outlines the growth strategies for the Food Services industry and bolsters the desire to create brands of which the country can be proud.
Innovating to generate new revenue streams is the first strategy. This aims to foster an innovative and vibrant Food Services industry and to develop homegrown brands with regional potential that will make the Enterprise SG collaborate with additional Food Innovate partners and larger organisations, to provide end-to-end support spanning from knowledge sharing to food product R&D and go-to-market networks.
The ITM will advise foodservice companies on how to strengthen their green branding to appeal to the environmentally concerned consumer, while the Enterprise SG will assist them in implementing sustainable solutions or incorporating sustainable practices into their operations like the Enterprise Sustainability Programme. A closer sustainability cooperation between foodservice companies and partners in the innovation or technology ecosystem to drive food resilience and sustainability goals will be encouraged.
The second strategy revealed was developing localised brands and assisting with internationalisation. ITM supports more food service providers to penetrate new markets, boost regional expansion, and internationalise by utilising different formats. Those new to internationalisation can utilise a carefully curated market accelerator programme to overcome potential industry-specific difficulties and launch their first international venture.
Enterprise SG will focus on assisting enterprises with an existing international presence to expand their presence by identifying new opportunities in rising locations. This is particularly pertinent for the regional markets, considering their near proximity to Singapore and their rapidly expanding populations.
Developing digital leaders and enhancing enterprise capabilities is ITM’s third strategy. Digitalisation remains essential to the transformation of the market. ITM 2025 will continue to promote the widespread use of foundational technologies through the Productivity Solutions Grant, which encourages businesses to deploy cost-effective, scalable digital and automation solutions.
With the implementation of the new Food Services Industry Digital Plan later this year, businesses will receive a revised digital road map to assist them in utilising innovative technology to meet their demands. The changes will also assist Food Services SMEs in transitioning from simple point solutions to integrated solutions to achieve efficiency and protect their organisations with data protection and cybersecurity technologies.
Food enterprises with scalability potential are encouraged to establish more comprehensive digital and data-driven strategies and champion seamless online-to-offline and offline-to-online customer experiences.
The last unveiled strategy was increasing job transformation and establishing quality positions for locals. To survive and grow in a fiercely competitive market, food and beverage firms must stay ahead of their business transformation initiatives and cultivate a resilient workforce core.
As organisations evolve, the ITM will boost local talent streams to support new business models and fulfil the rising demand for emerging employment. Enterprise SG will assist more businesses in launching talent development programmes to cultivate local talent in fields such as digital marketing, food technology, data analytics, restaurant management, chefs, and more.
The Food Services business plays a crucial role in Singapore’s economy, and in recent years it has achieved significant strides in digitisation and productivity enhancements. Enterprise SG will drive cross-sector relationships in line with ITM priorities.
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