New R&D tax credit passed by parliament

The Federal Government’s A$1.8 Billion R&D Tax Credit was recently passed by Parliament and ushers in a new chapter for Australian investment and innovation.

Starting retrospectively from 1 July 2011, the R&D Tax Credit has two core components:

a) A 45 per cent refundable tax offset (equivalent to a 150 per cent deduction) to eligible entities with an aggregated turnover of less than $20 million per annum.

b) A non-refundable 40 per cent tax offset (equivalent to a 133 per cent deduction) to all other eligible entities.

The new credit is said to be a key factor for Australia in attracting global firms looking to focus on R&D or those looking to partner research organisations to build their long term competiveness.

UWS is a Registered Research Agency (RRA), thus making it capable of performing contracted R&D on behalf of eligible companies. In addition to being able to claim the R&D tax credit, one of the major advantages of working with an RRA such as UWS includes the ability to undertake R&D programs without having to invest in costly equipment and expertise.

With UWS’s ever expanding intellectual property portfolio and continued investment in world class research, we welcome inquiries from companies that are interested in partnering on collaborative research projects. Please contact Robert Burnside on 02 9685 9742 or at r.burnside@uws.edu.au

UWS invention awarded NSW government grant

We are pleased to announce that a UWS invention, called Direct Contact Membrane Distillation Refrigeration (DCMD-R), has received $20,000 in market validation funding from the NSW Government. This innovative technology allows for energy efficient liquid concentration at low temperatures in order to produce a superior concentrated product.

Forming part of a pilot scheme implemented by the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services, the grant is designed to assist NSW research organisations to identify and prove a market for their intellectual property. The pilot grant program was managed by ATP Innovations with a view to creating an ongoing market validation scheme to support new business formation.

With the funding coming at a crucial stage of the project, it will enable UWS Innovation to continue to test and validate the technology before it is presented to industry partners for further development through collaboration.

Direct contact membrane distillation has recently emerged as an alternative to other concentration techniques when both high final concentration levels and high quality are required. DCMD-R technology however, is more energy efficient than other direct contact membrane distillation processes due to the incorporation of a unique refrigeration process. It is also able to produce a superior, concentrated product that retains the original nutritional and sensorial characteristics. The technology is ideal for concentrating thermally sensitive liquids such as fruit juice, coffee, tea extracts, dairy liquids and biological fluids.

We encourage you to watch here for future developments of this exciting technology. If you have a commercial interest in this technology or any inquiries about harnessing UWS research for your business, please contact UWS Innovation & Consulting on (02) 9685 9742 or by email at ip@uws.edu.au

UWS pioneers new carbon nanotube production method

Researchers at the School of Natural Sciences have developed a potentially revolutionary new method for the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at low temperature without metal catalysts.

CNTs have been touted as one the most important emerging nanomaterials as they have extraordinary properties due to their unique structure: graphene sheets consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms in a honeycomb framework that can be rolled into a tube measuring about a nanometer in diameter. Per unit weight, they are among the strongest and stiffest materials known and are also excellent conductors of electricity and heat. The tiny structures may be used in dozens of applications that touch nearly every industry, including aerospace, electronics, medicine, defense, automotive, energy and construction. While crude CNTs are currently produced en masse for uses such as structural reinforcement, advanced applications such as new printed electronics and energy storage devices require a much more refined version of the material.

Dr Adriyan Milev, Dr Kamali Kannangara and PhD student Marina Belkina have developed a new method for the low temperature and metal catalyst free synthesis of CNTs. The invention will potentially be able to assist in solving a number of key manufacturing problems and has recently undergone a provisional patent application filing.

UWS is seeking to engage with commercial partners to:

· Promote licensing of the patented technology or;

· Engage in collaborative R&D to further develop the technology.

For enquiries, please contact Robert Burnside on 02 9685 9742 or at r.burnside@uws.edu.au