Searching for Australia’s best cleantech ideas

Businesses with great ideas for tackling climate change are being encouraged to enter a national competition that could see Australian innovation become a global success.

Launching the Australian Cleantech Ideas Competition, Innovation Minister Kim Carr said climate change was the greatest challenge facing Australia and the world today and it was vital countries around the world worked together to address it.

The Australian competition, linked to the international Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition, will showcase clean technologies with economic and environmental benefits. They will help reduce our reliance on carbon and aid energy efficiency by opening up new ways of doing business.

“Australian clean technologies businesses were worth $22 billion in 2010 and the sector employs over 25,000 people nationally. The government’s goal is to develop a sector that helps Australia meet the growing needs of a low-carbon economy,” Senator Carr said.

“The Australian competition will promote a uniquely Australian take on developing this high-tech, high-skill sector and, I hope, result in some ‘Eureka’ moments.”

The competition is being run on behalf of the government by Australian CleanTech, a research and advisory firm that specialises in the sector.

In announcing that entries were now open for submission, John O’Brien, Australian CleanTech’s Managing Director, said, “Australia is renowned for the quality of its research in this sector, with water, waste and recycling technologies as standouts. Historically, however, the country has not always excelled at commercialising those ideas. This competition will provide a way for the best ideas to be found and their chances of succeeding greatly enhanced.”

Business ideas can be for technologies and services that address pollution, waste treatment and energy storage, new ways of looking at energy efficiency, building materials, transportations systems, public utilities and much more.

“The competition will help in turning the climate and sustainability debate away from the downsides. Instead, it will focus on the opportunities to build the industries of the future and to increase the efficiency and productivity of our existing industries,” O’Brien added.

Competition entrants will compete for business services tailored to suit the diversity of needs highlighted by the new ideas - be it access to venture capitalists, patent support, legal advice, research support or corporate assurance.

The winner of the Australian competition will represent Australia at the international Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition in the United States. The Australian winner will share ideas with entrants from 90 countries and compete for over $100,000 in services to launch their idea. They will also have a week of mentoring, meetings with investors, business services and other entrepreneurs at the International Awards Gala in November 2011.

Partners and their roles in the competition include:

• Macquarie Bank - fundraising advice
• KPMG - financial advice
• Clayton Utz - legal services
• Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick - patent attorneys advice
• AzoCleantech - pitching videos and global online publicity
• Cleantech Ventures - venture capital advice
• Enterprise Connect - business advisory services
• Commercialisation Australia - mentoring from case managers
• CSIRO Future Manufacturing Flagship - a tailored advice or analytical service package
• Austrade - international profiling and introductory services

For more information, visit: www.cleantechopen.com.au.