Australians may soon benefit from a natural treatment for osteoarthritis, the improved management of Parkinson’s disease and a baby bottle that eliminates the need to carry separate formula containers, thanks to the Australian Government’s Commercialisation Australia program.
Thirteen companies will share $5 million under the Commercialisation Australia program and get help from highly-skilled case managers and volunteer business mentors, who will guide them through the various stages of commercialisation and build their business.
Announcing the successful projects, Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said the Gillard Labor Government was partnering with Australian innovators through Commercialisation Australia because today’s great ideas will help deliver a richer, greener and healthier tomorrow.
Some of the success stories so far include Biotech company Immune System Therapeutics, who received $1.86 million in 2010 and has now successfully trialled a breakthrough antibody treatment for blood cancer. Biotech start up company NeuClone received $748,655 in 2010 and recently signed a licensing agreement with a major pharmaceuticals company in India.
Service company, Vitural Ark received $250,000 in 2010 and has been named a ‘Cool Vendor’ by leading IT research and advisory company, Gartner, for its management platform, which allows business applications to run on public and private cloud computing infrastructure.”
The full list Commercialisation Australia recipients is detailed below.
| Applicant | Grant | Project Description |
| Lockpost | Experienced Executives$200,000 | Revolutionary Wire Fencing SystemThe Commercialisation Australia Experienced Executive grant will complement the existing Skills and Knowledge grant used to develop a commercialisation plan to establish production for the Australian market and secure the intellectual property of Lockpost Pty Ltd’s unique new wire fencing product. The Lockpost fence has the potential to revolutionise the way pastoral fences are erected in Australia and around the world, delivering significant time efficiencies while also reducing cost and improving safety. |
| BuildingIQ | Early Stage Commercialisation$1,243,528 | BuildingIQ’s energy optimization and demand response management for commercial buildingsBuildingIQ optimises building heating and cooling to maximise energy efficiency and minimise costs and carbon emissions. BuildingIQ has achieved up to 30% ongoing energy savings in existing implementations. The Commercialisation Australia funding will enable the technology to move from single site delivery to a cloud platform delivered remotely as a service across multiple buildings, channels and geographies. |
| Inertial Orthopaedic Navigation Solutions | Early Stage Commercialisation$305,250 | Commercialisation of the MACNAV Computer-assisted Hip Replacement Navigation SystemTo support a licensing transaction with a global orthopaedics company, IONS will conduct trials of the MACNAV Computer-assisted Hip Replacement Navigation System in order to obtain clinical data regarding safety and efficacy. The intellectual property is protected by filing of patents across key jurisdictions. |
| V2i | Early Stage Commercialisation$858,063 | 3Dme Visualisation and simulation platform (“VSM”) including showcase pilot outputWith funding from Commercialisation Australia V2i intends to produce a software platform to automate the creation, management and delivery of high definition full 3d digital relevant, accurate and endorsed digital content in a way that offers significant production efficiencies over traditional frame by frame techniques and multi package workflows in a user-friendly non technical platform that will deploy output across all digital distribution networks and devices at the push of a button. |
| Health Risk Management Systems | Proof of Concept$230,167 | Complete the Development of 2cRisk Health Risk Management Software Application2cRisk is an `On Demand’ software application that provides an innovative approach to managing human risk. The software enables employers to assess health risks to their employees, and take appropriate mitigating action to reduce the risk of injury and illness, thereby providing safer work environments and reduced workers compensation costs. Health Risk Management Systems will use funding from Commercialisation Australia to finalise and prove the 2cRisk technology through field trials with a beta customer. |
| B-Pods | Proof of Concept$236,340 | Tractile composite roofing: sustainable, lightweight, cyclone resistant, integrated solar energyTractile, developed by B-Pods , is an innovative interlocking roofing system that can be utilised across the building industry, from residential through to commercial, with a focus on being fast and easy to install. Made from lightweight and high strength composite materials, Tractile is engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions, insulate the building, and incorporate Solar++ technology that creates both electricity and hot water within each tile. B-Pods has also developed the KISSTile Solar ++ which integrates the solar technology into concrete roof tiles. Commercialisation Australia funding will be used to prove the concept that these products can be manufactured to meet the Australian Standards for roofing and within a marketable price band. |
| Court Record Solutions Group | Early Stage Commercialisation$419,640 | Commercialisation of an online digital court audio and transcript production systemBrisbane based Court Record Solutions Group (CRSG) has developed CourtEx, a suite of software applications that allows courts of law to record, manage and publish court records quickly and easily online. CRSG software is a ground-breaking first in the legal technology space that will help court administrators around the world reduce production and management costs whilst improving access to justice. CourtEx streamlines the record production process to efficiently enable digital audio recordings, video and transcripts to be produced and published within hours, not weeks, as is the case today. Commercialisation Australia Funding will be used to refine CourtEx’s functionality, customise the product to meet the demands of the established United States and Australian justice markets, as well as addressing the needs of the growing international market and to enable CRSG to fully commercialise the product. |
| Qutbluebox | Proof of Concept$250,000 | Immersive Interaction System: An Early Childhood Education and Entertainment Platformqutbluebox, the commercialisation company for the Queensland University of Technology, has developed a floor-based platform that allows children of all ages and abilities to interact with digital environments. The system uses a short-throw projector to project images onto a pressure sensor embedded floor mat, effectively turning the floor into a large, pressure sensitive computer screen. Utilised by a single participant, pairs and larger groups, the systems applications can be explorative, expressive, collaborative or competitive; and can be utilised for educational, entertainment or therapeutic purposes. Funding from Commercialisation Australia will to be used to finalise a number of the technical, operational, and application challenges associated with the integrated hardware and software components; and demonstrate the unit to a range of prospective buyers. |
| Marinova | Proof of Concept$249,964 | Commercial validation of a new natural treatment for osteoarthritisTasmanian biotech company, Marinova, has developed a proprietary method of extracting fucoidan from a particular variety of seaweed, an active material long-recognised in Asian cultures for its health benefits. In an earlier Phase I/II human clinical trial, it was shown that this unique fucoidan compound is safely able to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis to levels similar to those achieved by non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Commercialisation Australia funding will assist Marinova to validate fucoidan’s efficacy claims in the treatment of osteoarthritis using a commercially viable dose and enter the large and growing global joint health market. |
| Ingeneus | Proof of Concept$250,000 | Integrated vitreoretinal surgery and laser platformOphthalmic vitreoretinal surgery is precise mechanical surgery on or around the retina performed through ports introduced into the eye and using a high powered microscope. Lasers are introduced independently during this surgery and are used to treat retinal detachments and tears on the retina. Ingeneus will use Commercialisation Australia Proof of Concept funding to demonstrate and trial a single integrated platform providing surgeons seamless transfer from mechanical surgery to laser surgery and visa versa. |
| Global Kinetics Corporation | Experienced Executives and Proof of Concept$439,625 | The Parkinson’s KinetiGraph System for the management of Parkinson’s disease symptomsThe Parkinson’s KinetiGraph (PKG) System provides a unique solution for neurologists in the management of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The Commercialisation Australia project is designed to attain commercial proof of concept for the PKG System by: validating the PKG System in the hands of neurologists; validating the business model from the perspective of payors in international markets; and providing further clinical data that will be used as a basis for application to governments and insurers for reimbursement for the PKG System reports and also to be used as pre-marketing amongst the global peer group. |
| Williames Tea | Proof of Concept$221,965 | World’s First Selective Tea Harvesting MachineTraditionally tea is selectively hand-plucked. Tea estates around the world are demanding automation due to increasing costs and scarcity of labour. Williames Tea has developed technology which simulates the hand plucking method. Commercialisation Australia funding will help Williames Tea complete the development of the selective tea harvester and conduct proof-of-concept trials with a major tea producer in India. |
| B.Box | Proof of Concept$74,395 | Baby formula dispenser that attaches to the bottle creating an all-in-one feeding solutionTraditionally parents who bottle feed their baby need to carry bottles plus a separate container/s of infant formula with them when they’re out and about or travelling. This can be problematic in terms of accuracy of formula measurement – essential to optimal nutrition, ensuring the teat is sterile, it’s time consuming, often messy and frustrating when you have a hungry baby to feed. b.box for kids has developed a unique feeding system that integrates the formula dispenser into the bottle itself. The b.box essential baby bottle is more hygienic, faster, practical and space saving. Funding from Commercialisation Australia will help b.box for kids attract global distributors and ultimately bring this innovative new product to market on a global stage. |
| $4,978,937 |
