Ministers Husic (Science) and Clare (Education) are conducting an Inquiry into the low rate of commercialising R&D in Australia.

ASC put in a formal response, claiming that communication was the missing ingredient.

We have 7 recommendations:
1.  Recognise the role science communicators can play to help industry, government and researchers understand each other’s perceptions, concerns and needs
2: Science communicators are crucial at the interface between science and commerce in framing, dialogue, decision making, meeting and messaging.  New positions need to be appointed, and new training programs devised to equip communicators to take up the ‘knowledge broker’ role.
3.  Create a research-industry dialogue to discuss and plan for Responsible Research & Innovation (RRI).  RRI is coming and there is pressure on researchers, companies and organisations to behave in an ethical and publicly accountable manner.  Institutions such as banks, supermarket chains, airlines and insurance companies are all feeling this pressure and R&D based companies will soon face the same scrutiny.  
4.  Commercialising research faces continuing barriers, as identified in successive studies over the years.  Extend these studies, to explore the current experiences of researchers commercialising their work, identify any problem areas and consider how these might be resolved. 
5.  Use successful models to change the attitudes and behaviours of both researchers and industry (eg Science meets Parliament)
6.  Mount a travelling interactive exhibition on the Future Made in Australia program.  It is a $22.7 billion program and the ideas behind it are vital to Australia’s prosperity: skilled employment, achieving net zero, developing critical technologies and building sovereign capability.  
7. Extend the purpose of National Science Week, broaden its focus to include projects to encourage linkages between science and industry (as well as education), and boost funding for the program
It’s a 16 page response and makes a case for science communication as an integral part of any solution.  

The full ASC submission is available here.