Special Report: Innovation

Innovation is seen as the driver of Western Australia's long-term growth and prosperity, but questions remain about the best way to achieve outcomes to benefit all players, private and public, in an increasingly competitive environment.

It's no news in academic ranks that the Cooperative Research Centres funding game is a highly competitive one, requiring lots of old-fashioned lobbying.

One of former premier Geoff Gallop's legacies will be his 2002 ‘InnovateWA' policy, aimed at reversing the decline in the state's research and development effort.

Tucked away in Alcoa's Kwinana alumina refinery complex, just south of Perth, is the largest refining research and development group in the Western world.

There is no shortage of options and pathways for innovative individuals and businesses seeking government financial backing and support for their activities.

Innovative technology is one thing, but financial backing and business know how are the critical components in taking a concept from idea phase to successful end product.

Western Australian companies have enjoyed considerable success of late in securing funding to drive the development of innovative products, processes and services.

The crucial importance of research and industry-specific education to sustain Australia's, and particularly Western Australia's, booming resources sector has never been more vital.

Simulator-based medical skills training centre Clinical Training and Education Centre (CTEC) will undergo a change in its ownership structure with the University of Western Australia seizing full ownership from joint venture partners, which include Perth

Innovation and technology go hand in hand and the outlook for those in Western Australia's information and computer technology sector is rosy, according to John Krokosz, general manager of recruitment specialist Candle ICT Perth.

Western Australia's innovation credentials lifted a notch earlier this year as the state joined forces with interstate partners to construct a synchrotron in Victoria.

This year, Western Australia will move closer to becoming a world leader in genetic research, underpinning its potential to become an international powerhouse in the wider field of medical research.