Three South Australian universities turning research in areas such as defence, biomedicine into technology
Each of the South Australian universities has a commercialisation arm to turn research into technology for industry.
All three major South Australian universities are involved in turning their research into technology. Each has its own commercialisation arm: Adelaide Enterprise at Adelaide University; Flinders Partners at Flinders University; and UniSA Ventures at the University of South Australia.
South Australia has a long history of success in defence research, underpinned by strong alliances with the universities and industry.
These alliances were formally recognised in 2018 through the Defence Innovation Partnership, is a collaborative venture between Defence SA, Defence Science and Technology, and South Australia’s three universities. The partnership will support research, development and commercialising of defence-relevant science and technology through the universities, industry, and the state and federal governments working together, particularly through significant Defence Science and Technology research divisions at Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
The three universities also work closely in the biomedical research precinct on the western end of North Terrace, Adelaide. Sited alongside the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, is the University of Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building. supporting medicine, nursing and dentistry students and about 400 health sciences researchers.
The University of South Australia’s Health Innovation Building, includes the Centre for Cancer Biology was set up within SA Pathology in 2008 as a hub for innovative science. A $280 million SAHMRI2, to be known as the John Chalmers building, would be built alongside the SAHMRI building to house Australia’s first proton therapy unit – an $80 million machine to target otherwise inoperable cancerous tumours. Flinders University has committed $60 million to have a cancer research hub in the building while the state government has budgeted $44 million.
