Tech transfer agreement between CSIRO and Boron Molecular

The CSIRO and chemical manufacturer Boron Molecular have signed a technology transfer agreement which is set to accelerate the commercialisation of a range of Australian technologies.

Under the agreement, Boron Molecular will be able to access and license CSIRO technologies while drawing on the science agency’s research and development expertise. The manufacturer will then develop these technologies into commercial products that can be scaled, mass-produced and marketed globally, with CSIRO receiving a royalty on all sales.

Boron Molecular Director Zoran Manev said the two organisations have complementary skills and capabilities, which is not surprising given that Boron Molecular was originally spun out from CSIRO in 2001.

“By applying our specialist chemical manufacturing expertise to CSIRO’s portfolio of technologies we’ll be able to deliver products to industry far more quickly, completing the value chain,” Manev said.

Technologies that fall under the agreement are wide-ranging, including polymers used in the biomedical industry and specialist fine chemicals for polymer manufacture. Manev said the products will be used “for a range of applications, from electronics and specialist polymers to key components for boronic acid building blocks used in the pharmaceutical industry”.

CSIRO research scientist Dr John Tsanaktsidis said the agreement allows the organisations to rapidly bring home-grown products to market, commercialising “high-end products and processes in a much more seamless way”. The deal is thus an example of how research and business can work together to boost Australia’s innovation in high-end chemical manufacturing, he said.

“By closing the gap between industry and the science and research sector, we have the potential to revitalise Australia’s chemical manufacturing industry,” he said.

“Ultimately, it’s collaborations like this that will lead to the creation of new jobs, new infrastructure and increased capacity for export.”

Image caption: Researchers in CSIRO’s chemistry laboratory in Melbourne. © CSIRO