The government supports projects to improve domestic competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability.
The Australian government seeks to support the scaling up of domestic innovations with more than $36 million (AUS$55 million). The funding is allocated to various projects in strategic sectors such as critical minerals, renewable energy, as well as medicine and healthcare. The support is part of the 16th round of Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P). This program brings together science and industry to enhance the competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability of Australian industry.
Among the selected projects is a newly developed membrane technology for separating iron, aluminum, and other metals, designed by CPC Engineering, Impact Minerals, and Edith Cowan University. The goal is to reduce waste while also lowering costs in mineral processing.
Another joint project focuses on the storage and, thus, the facilitated export of hydrogen using nanoporous materials. Additionally, projects for developing a platform for digitizing and automating mining, as well as two initiatives for optimizing offshore wind turbines, will receive funding.
The complete list of all projects can be found here.
This is not Australia’s first funding initiative for projects in renewable energy and the critical minerals industry. The resource-rich country aims to position itself as an alternative to the industry leader China for its Western trading partners, especially in the production of rare earths. Just recently, Australia’s Resources Minister Madeleine King stated that promoting the sector is a national priority, but foreign investments are also needed (we reported).
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