Posted in Innovation

Long Term Planning with Liveable Communities in Mind

Long-term community planning is vital for our liveable cities to prosper. Organisations involved in their community’s infrastructure must be able to look ahead and construct plans where anticipated. Change is not only considered but prepared for in advance.

We cannot always know what the future holds, as we have recently discovered through unanticipated change and subsequent adaptation. However, the last few months have not deterred Australians from continuing to practice and strive for the future of the sustainable movement.

New bike paths have already been put into future planning, due to increased demand. Transport Secretary Rodd Staples mentioned in an online webinar in May that future development could incorporate a 40 year plan, in as little as three years.

Urban Mobility Manager of the New Zealand Transport Agency; Ms Kathryn King

But Australia is not the only country adopting this new wave of smarter transport development. Urban Mobility Manager of the New Zealand Transport Agency; Ms Kathryn King, manages the Urban Mobility Programme at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. She is co-author of the Keeping Cities Moving plan and the lead for the Innovating Streets for People Program. Be sure to tune into her presentation in webinar 3 of the Liveable Cities Conference: Webinar Series 2020.

Smarter transportation is just one facet already in motion. Other organisations have their own key plans for a brighter, more sustainable future.

 

CSIRO’s Australian National Outlook 2019 and the Urban Shift

According to CSIRO’s 2019 Report, the future of Australia will include an outlook vision where communities will have equal access to employment all round, more amenities to improve quality of lifestyles, superior health services and education, plus more affordable and better connected cities if their three proposed levers are put into action.

The CSIRO’s plan is to tackle society’s features within urban design, energy, land use, culture and the industry itself, to reach the outlook vision from their report. By accommodating for Australia’s population increase over the next few decades and incorporating their plan for our liveable cities, the ‘Urban Shift’ will be achieved.

    

CSIRO’s Senior Research Scientist in Land and water; Mr Tim Baynes

CSIRO’s Senior Research Scientist in land and water; Mr Tim Baynes is one of our keynote speakers in webinar 2 of our Liveable Cities Conference: Webinar Series 2020 taking place online on Tuesday 16th June from 10:00am – 12:30pm. Tim’s talk will review the approach and outputs of ANO 2019 and, in particular, elements of the ‘Urban Shift’ scenario within that vision.

 

Coreo’s Circular Economy in the Built Environment: Creating Purposeful Places for People and Planet

In 2017, Coreo was founded and created Australia’s first circular economy pilot project. The company’s mission is to catalyst the global transition to a circular economy.

Since their launch, the company has begun several successful projects including:

  • Circular Economy Master Planned Community Strategy
  • The Southern Hemisphere’s Most Circular Airport
  • Economic Analysis & Sectoral Assessment for Queensland
  • Community Resilience Project
  • Circular Economy Innovation Precinct
  • Creating Circular Supply Chains
  • Regional Economic Development Transition to Action
  • The First Step for Retail
  • Co-Create & Incubate
  • The Circular Experiment Goes to Rotorua

You can download the Circular Economy Overview for the Yarrabilba Community, QLD – 2019 to gain further insight to the wonderful work Coreo is doing.

Chief Executive Officer; Ms Ashleigh Morris left, & Chief Operating Officer; Ms Jaine Morris right

Chief Executive Officer; Ms Ashleigh Morris and Chief Operating Officer; Ms Jaine Morris are two more keynote speakers involved in webinar 2 of the Liveable Cities Conference: Webinar Series 2020 and will be sharing their insight on what the circular economy is and how it is creating purposeful places for people and planet, through providing examples of their work in the built environment with Lendlease, Mirvac, the Queensland Investment Corporation, Brisbane City Council and others.

 

Ask Us What We Want

Democracy is also a vital key in unlocking economic, social, and environmental opportunities when it comes to a sustainable future in our liveable cities. People’s opinions within a community matter and just one voice can send a powerful message.

Founder of newDemocracy Foundation, Managing Director of Transfield Holdings, & Prisma Investment; Mr Luca Belgiorno-Nettis AM

Managing Director of Transfield Holdings, and Prisma Investment; Mr Luca Belgiorno-Nettis AM is the founder of newDemocracy Foundation. Established in 2004, this non-for-profit research organisation’s sole focus was on political reform. Its research and development notes contributed to the academic enhancement of democracy through their learnings, reflections and discoveries and fostered a culture of persistent innovation and research.

Luca will be the final speaker in webinar 2 on Tuesday and will take us through a presentation that will enlighten viewers with the importance of democracy existing within our communities and how a person’s voice can have an important impact. For a prelude to Luca’s presentation, CLICK HERE

Luca says, “I’m often pleasantly surprised by how differently an issue can be viewed, and how creatively and intelligently a problem can be resolved by giving people the time and resources to answer questions that affect them.” Read Luca’s article on democracy recently published in The Mandarin.

Webinar 2 of the Liveable Cities Conference: Webinar Series 2020 is set to hit the bar. Be sure to register for the event.

REGISTER HERE

Program Details

Q&A With Project Seabin Co-Founder Pete Ceglinski

After seeing one too many pieces of plastic in the ocean, two avid surfers decided to do something about it, creating a “Seabin” that would collect trash, oil, fuel and detergents from the water.

We had the opportunity to chat with co founder and CEO Pete Ceglinski about the Seabin Project and the ultimate goal of pollution free oceans for future generations.

Q: How did the idea for Seabin Project come about?

A: It came about from being sick of seeing floating debris in the water of marinas around the world. We needed a practical solution that was based upstream so we could catch the litter before it went out to sea and into our oceans.

Q: How does the Seabin work?

A: It is very simple, the Seabin is attached to the floating dock and then it simply draws in water from the surface, and we then pump it out the bottom of the Seabin. As the water passes through the filter, it traps all the plastics, and litter. We are also catching surface oils with the addition of a very simple oil filter.

Pete Ceglinski

For myself and the team at Seabin, its very important to point out that Seabin’s will not fix our ocean plastics problem nor will the technology stop people from littering. We have decided to focus on a “whole solution” strategy where we have created Educational and Scientific programs combined with technology and community events.

Q: Why don’t fish and sea life get caught in the Seabins?

A: There is a possibility of marine life being pulled into the Seabin, but it is a very rare occurrence. If any fish did get pulled into the Seabin, they are normally alive as the filter is submerged in water and can be thrown back into the water. The fish tend to stay away from the surface of the water and seem to sense the current of the water near the Seabin.

Q: How much rubbish can one Seabin hold?

A: Each catch bag can hold 20Kgs of debris, the catch bag can be changed as needed and it is possible to capture up to 120Kgs of debris per day. The Seabin was designed for ergonomics of one person holding a catch bag by their side. If we go any larger then we need to reassess how the catch bag will be changed.

Q: How long do Seabins last?

Image: Instagram (@seabin_project)

A: The warranty is for two years but we are looking at a 3-5 year or more life span. The materials are extremely robust and 100% reyclable

Q: Who should be investing in Seabins?

A: Everyone! Haha, just kidding. Not everyone can buy a Seabin as they are designed for Ports, Marinas and Yacht clubs. These are our main clients. However, we have created a crowdfunding kit where its possible for people to raise money to donate a Seabin to a local marina.

Q: The Seabins have hit Australian shores – where can we expect to see them?

A: We have two demonstration purpose Seabins arriving this month and are in the process of setting up events in Australias major cities with marina access. We will be inviting everyone to come see them in action around June. The commercial Seabins should be available around Sept – Oct this year. We have some delays as the certification process is a lot more detailed than Europe and other countries.

Find out more about Seabin Project at seabinproject.com. 

Interested in sustainability projects going on around Australia?

The 2018 Liveable Cities Conference is heading to Melbourne this July.

Over two days, listen to and be inspired by presenters from varied disciplines who continue to explore the liveability of our metropolitan and regional urban centres.

Find out more here

 

New Tech Could Turn Windows Into Solar Panels

See-through solar cells have been created which could turn windows into small-scale power plants.

Researchers at Michigan State University have developed thin, transparent, plastic-like material that can act as an energy-generating coating on windows, and provide additional power when coupled with a rooftop solar installation.

New Tech Could Turn Windows Into Solar Panels

Photo: article supplied

While the technology has existed in its early stages since 2015, it is only now developed enough for projects of scale.

The technology works by utilising organic molecules within the transparent film that absorb ultraviolet and infrared lightwaves – which are invisible to the human eye – and converts them into electricity by directing these lightwaves to small photovoltaic cells at the edge of the screen, while letting visible light through.

The film itself is less than one-thousandth of a millimetre thick.

Currently, the technology is recording energy efficiencies of more than 10 per cent, while traditional solar panels are between 15 and 18 per cent efficient.

“Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications,” Michigan State University professor of chemical engineering and materials science and developer, Richard Lunt, said.

“We analysed their potential and show that by harvesting only invisible light, these devices can provide a similar electricity-generation potential as rooftop solar while providing additional functionality to enhance the efficiency of buildings, automobiles and mobile electronics.”

The technology can be used to improve existing solar panels efficiency levels by creating an additional layer of energy collection without interfering with conventional photovoltaic cell operation.

The application of the solar film exists for small-scale electronics, such as mobile phones, e-readers and wearables, and has been put forth as a way to extend battery life.

“That is what we are working towards,” Mr Lunt said.

“Traditional solar applications have been actively researched for over five decades, yet we have only been working on these highly transparent solar cells for about five years.

“Ultimately, this technology offers a promising route to inexpensive, widespread solar adoption on small and large surfaces that were previously inaccessible.”

This was originally published by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Click here to read the entire article.

The 2018 National Sustainability in Business Conference will be held on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 March 2018 at Hotel Grand Chancellor, Brisbane.  The 2nd annual conference will explore sustainability best practice within organisations, creating resilience in business and ways to implement change.

Conference speakers and partners will provide insight into how  they are interweaving sustainability practices within their organisations, navigating change and the differences they are making within national and  multinational companies and small business.

Register to secure your spot today!

Innovation Comes In Many Forms

Innovation comes in many forms, all of which can give you a competitive edge in the marketplace.  It is therefore important to at least consider protecting your innovations, both to prevent others from gaining any advantage from them, but also to facilitate subsequent negotiations and licenses with third parties.

Dr Andrew Jones

Three forms of IP rights are often used to protect innovations – patents, trade marks and registered designs.  Patents protect how a product functions, whist registered designs protect its “look” and trade marks protect the brand used to sell it.  It is often important to lodge IP rights at IP Australia before you disclose them publicly.  However, before rushing to file an IP right it’s important to decide whether it is worthwhile pursuing IP protection and, if so, which one (or more) of these three IP rights do I need?

Dr Andrew Jones
Principal | Foundry Intellectual Property | AU & NZ Patent and Trade Mark Attorney

 

Australian innovation has to be about more than start-ups and tech

There is absolutely no doubt that the global economy is more competitive than ever, and for Australia to remain productive and prosperous it is vital for business to continue to change and evolve.

But when we talk about “innovation”, what exactly do we mean?

Put simply, it’s about challenging the norm and doing things differently. It’s not only coming up with new products and services, but improving on what we already do and make.

Innovation isn’t something that only applies to start-ups or tech companies. It applies right across the economy, to both established and new businesses. Innovation matters as much to the worker in the steel plant as to the coder in the start-up. Businesses that innovate generally perform better than those that don’t. They make more income from sales, generate more profit and they employ more people.

We live in a rapidly changing world, where new technologies are transforming the way we work, interact and do business, and the good news is that as a nation, this is an area where we have a strong track record. Our inventiveness, our entrepreneurial spirit and our inquiring minds and scientific capability stand us in good stead, but we must always strive to do more.

Australia recently marked 25 years of continuous economic growth. It’s a great achievement but we cannot be complacent if we want to continue strong growth into the future.

We need to be adaptive and open to new technologies that can help improve productivity and increase economic growth. Being innovative is good for the economy. It’s good for business. And it’s good for jobs.

Innovation applies right across the economy, and policy must apply as much to a steel plant worker as to a coder in the start-up. iStock

Innovation applies right across the economy, and policy must apply as much to a steel plant worker as to a coder in the start-up. iStock

Government policy

As a government, we have a role and responsibility to be encouraging all businesses – big and small, new and old – to be thinking outside the box and always asking the question: is there a better way to do this?

And we will continue to play our part by getting the settings right to encourage existing firms to grow and new firms to start, thereby creating new opportunities and driving jobs and prosperity.

We started this journey back in December 2015 when the Prime Minister launched the first wave of the $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda. The agenda includes a suite of initiatives designed to help all Australians – our businesses, our students and our researchers – create and seize the opportunities made possible by technological and scientific advances. We’ve already made good progress.

R&D incentives

Our investment in R&D will increase 3.55 per cent on the Budget Estimate of $9.7 billion in 2015–16 and over the last 10 years the Australian Government support for R&D has increased by 52 per cent – from more than $6.6 billion to $10.1 billion.

Right now we’re consulting with the community on how we can maximise benefits from the generous R&D tax incentives. In addition to financial support, we’re providing the infrastructure we need for science and research. In August, we finalised the handover of the Synchrotron to the Australian Government.

Located in Melbourne, the Synchrotron is one of the most important pieces of research infrastructure in the country and we’ve allocated $520 million so scientists have the resources they need to make the next big breakthrough.

Already the Synchrotron has been used to help advance research and development in fields such as bioscience, food security, medical research and minerals exploration. We’ve also announced a $70 million agreement to work on building the world’s first quantum computer – right here in Australia. Achieving this significant technological breakthrough would allow us to process in minutes or hours, problems that would take conventional computers – even supercomputers – centuries.

Groundbreaking discoveries

We also recently launched the $500 million Biomedical Translation Fund.

We’re renowned for ground-breaking discoveries in health and medical research, but too often opportunities to commercialise them have been lost to international investors. Our investment will fuel Australian biomedical innovation, generate revenue for Australia and create high-value Australian jobs. The Biomedical Translation Fund will make investments in promising discoveries, injecting the necessary funds to progress commercialisation.

By investing in the early stages of commercialisation, we are opening the research pipeline from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside. Researchers, clinicians, industry, governments and, especially, patients will benefit.

We have also amended the tax system to encourage investors to direct their funds towards high-growth, innovative start-ups and we have taken steps to boost women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

These are just a few of the measures we’ve put in place to build investment and secure our future economic prosperity. And at the end of the day, that’s good for the economy and it’s good for jobs.

Read more.