The Exciton Science Connect Program, launched in 2020, is an important opportunity for businesses, organisations or community groups to partner with Exciton Science in co-creating and implementing a low emissions, renewable energy vision for Australia.
By launching the Exciton Connect Program, Exciton Science is seeking to create industry partnerships, engage with community organisations working towards a renewable energy future, and assist in preparing the skilled workforce for the future, in a manner which encourages our researchers and industry to engage, collaborate and look for new opportunities.
While the Centre is working at solving fundamental research problems, it is important to know which of these have the potential to be viable in the market and to assist in the wider community working towards a renewable energy future.
We also want to enable industry and the public to be aware of the Centre’s research fields and to enjoy advanced notice of the technology they can expect to see in the future.
The Centre has invited a number of industry partners to join us in creating the new technology and materials needed to advance Australia’s renewable energy sector. In 2020 the program welcomed Clearvue PV and Bluglass into the Centre membership as Connect Program Members.
The Connect Program also involved the implementation of a number of funding programs designed to engage with our new partners and the wider community. These included the availability of small seed funding grants to get prospective projects off the ground; the provision of funding for industry placements; and a community connect program designed to get Exciton Science researchers out there and engaging with NGOs, media organisations and other community groups to promote the message of the Centre.
In 2020 we also held the first two in a series of online Connect Program Workshops. The first workshop held in October ‘Establishing early collaboration for competitive advantage’ was facilitated by Joseph Dodd of CSIRO on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Industry’s Innovation Connections initiative. The workshop also featured presentations from:
The second Workshop held in December ‘Mapping the Route to Successful Entrepreneurship’ featured presentations from:
The program has so far been a great success and is highlighting the potential industry applications the Centre’s research and members can have outside of the academic sphere. The program will continue into 2021 and beyond, and is sure to see rewarding collaborations and opportunities arise.
