AU$12 million in 'R&D Start' grants

A handheld biosensor device that can immediately register food, water and blood contaminants will be developed with the help of a AU$774,000 Australian government grant, as part of a multi-million dollar R&D Start funding round recently announced by Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism & Resources, Ian Macfarlane.

Mr Macfarlane announced Queensland innovators Cleveland Biosensors as one of seven companies to receive grants totalling more than AU$12 million under the latest round of the business innovation program.

"This product, when commercialised, will provide significant benefits in food safety, biosecurity and personalised medicine - particularly where the long wait for laboratory results puts individuals and communities at risk," Mr Macfarlane said. Other companies to receive R&D Start grants include:

• Cutting Edge Post, of South Brisbane, awarded AU$990,752 for its self-contained digital post-production system for television program production. It is particularly suited to managing lengthy footage from reality shows where time to air is very short and content requires speedy analysis.
• Iliad Chemicals Pty Ltd, of Bundoora, awarded AU$636,462 to develop vascular targeting agents, using Iliad's MultiCore technology, as a new validated approach for the treatment of cancer.
• Locata Corporation, of the ACT, awarded AU$4,930,000 for its antenna system for indoor positioning applications. The company will develop an advanced form of its radio-positioning technology for the warehouse and industrial automation markets.

Since 1996, R&D Start has delivered funding of more than AU$1.4 billion to innovative Australian companies. Its successor program, Commercial Ready, is now open for business, providing up to AU$200 million a year to support business R&D, proof-of-concept, and early-stage commercialisation activities.