NUMBER 196 | JUNE 2016 SCIENCE VISION: 15 YEARS FROM NOW CHIEF SCIENTISTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND HIGHLIGHT OUR OPPORTUNITIES AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING BATTERHAM MEDAL FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE One of Australia’s most innovative young engineers will win the 2016 Batterham Medal. NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON 14 AUGUST. The Batterham Medal is an early career award for a graduate engineer who has achieved substantial peer/industry recognition for his/her work in the past five years. The Academy administers the award on behalf of the Group of Eight Deans of Engineering and Associates and the Medal will be awarded at ATSE’s Oration Dinner on 25 November 2016 in Melbourne. The winner will receive the Batterham Medal and a cash prize of $5000. THE WINNER WILL BE AN ENGINEERING GRADUATE OF AN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY, UNDER 40 AT 1 JANUARY 2016 AND WILL: 1. have demonstrated excellence, innovation and impact in a field of engineering; 2. be clearly acknowledged by peers for a signature contribution to engineering in the five years prior to his/her nomination; and 3. have advanced the standing of the engineering profession. The Batterham Medal recognises Professor Robin Batterham AO FREng FAA FTSE, an Australian science and technology leader who was Chief Scientist of Australia from 1999 to 2006, President of the Academy from 2007 to 2012 and is Kernot Professor of Engineering at the University of Melbourne. THE BATTERHAM MEDAL GUIDELINES AND NOMINATION FORM ARE AVAILABLE AT www.atse.org.au/batterham-medal NOMINATE AN INNOVATIVE YOUNG ENGINEER TODAY. AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING BatterhamMedal_16Advert.indd 1 18/05/2016 11:53 AM JUNE 2016 | FOCUS Contents 15 Mobilising our Mittelstand Embrace change and of growing SMEs seek better outcomes 17 Taking the lead – based on science 3 By Alan Finkel 20 Change key to competitiveness and economic growth 24 Global Connections Fund launched Things are moving 25 Clunies Ross winners fast – and faster from three states 7 26 National leaders address By Geoff Garrett Agribusiness 2030 27 IMNIS expands to South Australia 27 Technology workshop on food safety in Beijing Reflect on trends to 28 Skilled graduates the inform smart choices key outcome 11 29 Research training review By Mary O’Kane seeks better engagement 45 ATSE in Focus Front cover photo: The Ladybird robot can detect vegetable growth and pest species and remove weeds. Photo: University of Sydney PUBLISHER Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Address: Level 1, 1 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne ATSE Focus is produced to stimulate discussion and public policy initiatives on key topics of interest to the Postal Address: Academy and the nation. Many articles are contributed by ATSE Fellows with expertise in these areas. Opinion GPO Box 4055, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 articles will be considered for publication. Items between 800 and 1400 words are preferred. Please address Telephone: 03 9864 0900 comments, suggested topics and article for publication to [email protected]. Facsimile: 03 9864 0930 Email: [email protected] Deadline for the receipt of copy for next edition of Focus is 15 July 2016. CEO: Dr Margaret Hartley FTSE Editor: Bill Mackey COPYRIGHT This publication contains copyright material. Some of the material is owned by Australian Academy of Print Post Publication No 341403/0025 Technological Sciences and Engineering Ltd ACN 008 520 394 (ATSE) and some material is owned by others. ISSN 1326-8708 All copyright and other intellectual property rights in the materials remain with the owner. No material in this Design and production: publication may be copied (except as legally allowed) or further disseminated without the express and written Coretext 03 9670 1168 www.coretext.com.au permission of the holder of that copyright, with the exception of copying for educational purposes. Copyright © ATSE 2016 www.atse.org.au 1 CLEVER RESOURCEFUL SOLUTIONS The minerals we help to mine shape the world We combine the progressive thinking of our Global we live in. R&D and Technical networks to find solutions for the challenges encountered at every stage of the mining An Australian company with a global footprint, value chain. Orica has operations in more than 50 countries and customers in more than 100. On average, we deliver To deliver for our customers, we rely on excellence in 1,500 blasts every day. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. We’re focused on developing long-term We are therefore proud to be the principal Sponsor partnerships with our customers to reduce the total of ATSE’s STELR Project and to have helped more costs of mining, improve productivity and achieve than 400 schools in Australia and beyond become sustainable environmental outcomes. STELR schools. Blasting Systems l Ground Support l Mining Chemicals orica.com OR059_Stelr A4 Ad.indd 1 14/08/15 9:17 AM JUNE 2016 | FOCUS BY ALAN FINKEL [email protected] Embrace change and seek better outcomes SCIENCE VISION We must reverse the decline in science and maths participation and performance. In international testing, our students are slipping and this is unacceptable. I love problems. They are opportunities to create I solutions. And while we’re at it, we can make sure that the solutions exceed the minimum requirements. Two memorable events occurred in my first three weeks on the job. The first was the restructuring at CSIRO that reduced Australia’s climate research capability. In the spirit of never letting a good CLEVER crisis go to waste I was able to work with numerous players in the research community to facilitate CSIRO itself finding a better way RESOURCEFUL forward. The second was the announcement of the discovery of gravitational waves. Quite SOLUTIONS remarkably, 100 years after their existence Alan Finkel joins students to celebrate Victoria University Secondary College becoming was predicted by Albert Einstein’s Theory of the 500th STELR school in Australia. General Relativity, and after 45 years of intense The minerals we help to mine shape the world We combine the progressive thinking of our Global effort by the physics community to build ever long arms of the detector. Hats off to the team. developed countries. You could say we were we live in. R&D and Technical networks to find solutions for the more sensitive detectors, a gravitational wave The stunning LIGO success illustrates lucky, but it is more than that. challenges encountered at every stage of the mining event was recorded a mere one hour after what is critically important in a national Among many other factors, we should An Australian company with a global footprint, value chain. the Advanced LIGO detector was switched science, research and innovation system: acknowledge the commitment to research Orica has operations in more than 50 countries and on. To me, the trace that shows the gradually adequate funding; multidisciplinary and innovation in our mining, education, customers in more than 100. On average, we deliver To deliver for our customers, we rely on excellence in increasing frequency and amplitude of the teamwork; collaborations between agriculture and banking sectors. Although we 1,500 blasts every day. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. gravitational waves emanating from the universities, research institutions and don’t hear about these nearly as much in the inward spiralling and eventual collision of two industry; patience, commitment and vision. media as we hear about our poor performance We’re focused on developing long-term We are therefore proud to be the principal Sponsor black holes 1.3 billion light years ago is the blip in digital technologies. And it is true, we could partnerships with our customers to reduce the total of ATSE’s STELR Project and to have helped more of the century. AUSTRALIA NEEDS A PLAN do much better in many areas and, through a costs of mining, improve productivity and achieve than 400 schools in Australia and beyond become Ten years ago most scientists and Australia does not yet have a long-term deliberate approach, we can fill in the gaps in sustainable environmental outcomes. STELR schools. engineers, other than the funders and builders plan for its science, research and innovation our capability. But we will do so more easily by of LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational- system. I anticipate that this will be addressed celebrating and learning from our successes Wave Observatory), thought the task was in the not too distant future. than by focusing on our shortfalls. impossible. But the physicists, engineers In the meantime, as a country we are As Australia’s Chief Scientist, championing and mathematicians in the LIGO team were enjoying many successes, most of which science and innovation across society, one Blasting Systems l Ground Support l Mining Chemicals undaunted. Ultimately, their machine detected are rarely acknowledged. We have achieved of my main messages is about embracing a change in length a mere thousandth of the almost 100 successive quarters of GDP the two arms of an upside-down 'T.' The orica.com width of a proton along the four-kilometre- growth in a row, making us the envy of other horizontal base is our science and research www.atse.org.au 3 OR059_Stelr A4 Ad.indd 1 14/08/15 9:17 AM FOCUS | JUNE 2016 endeavour, from fundamental science, infrastructure is broader than a strict The rapid approach of automation and humanities and social sciences, through interpretation of ‘national’ would suggest, so artificial intelligence will substantially alter to engineering and digital technologies. that we can leverage our skills and finances the job market in coming years. Science and research build the knowledge to be partners in international projects such The solution is to ensure the excellence base that feeds the innovation engine, which as the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile of our education system from primary is the vertical arm of my upside-down T.