House of Representatives Committees

Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Report

You may access the separate parts of the report by clicking on the following documents, which are in pdf format. To view or print these pdf documents, you will require the Adobe Acrobat® PDF Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe

Abbreviations (PDF format)

Executive Summary (PDF format)

Chapter 1 - Introduction (PDF format)

     Definitional issues
     R&D and economic growth
     The rationale for government support of R&D
     The Australian science and technology system
     Summary of federal government R&D support programs
     Public policy changes in the past decade
     National Competition Policy
     The inquiry

Chapter 2 - The level of R&D undertaken (PDF format)

     Australia's R&D performance
     The fall in business expenditure on R&D since 1996-97
     The effect of policy changes on the level of R&D
     Will policy changes drive R&D offshore?
     Should R&D subsidies be repaid when firms move overseas?
     Loss of "critical mass" for R&D
     Sectoral research bodies
     The Energy Research and Development Corporation (ERDC)
     The Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) program
     Lack of adequate data

Chapter 3 - The type of R&D undertaken (PDF format)

     The role of basic research
     The effect of policy changes on the type of R&D
     Relevance of the R&D to industry
     Long-term and "public good" R&D
     A "stocktake" of long-term and public good R&D?
     Certain policy changes in public sector R&D
     External earnings targets
     Competitive neutrality
     Research infrastructure and equipment
     Outsourcing
     The need to retain "in-house" expertise
     Outsourcing and health research

Chapter 4 - R&D and the university sector (PDF format)

     Categories of research
     R&D funding
     Federal government funding
     Operating grants
     Competitive grants
     Funding of university research infrastructure
     Non-government sources of funding
     Relationship between industry and universities
     Formal linkage programs
     Strategic Partnerships with Industry Research and Training
     Research Centres
     Employment
     Science and engineering

Chapter 5 - R&D investment - incentives and impediments (PDF format)

     The R&D tax concession
     Should the concession be increased?
     Administrative requirements and eligibility criteria
     The R&D Start program
     Competitive grants schemes - advantages and disadvantages
     Access to venture capital
     Syndication
     The Innovation Investment Fund
     Pooled Development Funds
     Capital gains tax

Chapter 6 - Some additional issues (PDF format)

     Qualifications of Australian managers and financiers
     Streamlined programs and advisory structures
     Long-term policy stability

Appendix 1 - List of submissions (PDF format)

Appendix 2 - List of exhibits (PDF format)

Appendix 3 - Witnesses at public hearings (PDF format)

Index (PDF format)

 

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