Hydrogen storage, electric air transport, plant-based protein among $47 m CRC grants

Funding totalling $47 million has been announced to support 22 CRC Projects in the 11th round of the program, including to efforts developing electric air transport, plant-based protein and orthotic products.

The projects are more than dollar-matched by participants. Total investment was worth $133 million, said CRC Association CEO Jane O’Dwyer on Friday.

“The CRC Projects are short, highly industry-focused projects that make it possible for many Small to Medium-sized enterprises to partner with each other and research organisations and to pursue ideas that create new products, jobs and build Australian innovation capacity,” she said in a statement.

“It provides a great framework for developing highly productive cooperative partnerships and making the most of the world-leading research know-how that we find in our research institutions.

Grants included $2.7 million to Rux Energy, in a collaboration with AMSL Aero, University of Sydney, University of NSW and ATCO Gas Australia, which will “prove-up breakthrough advanced hydrogen (H2) storage materials” to demonstrate system-wide efficiency gains. A project led by AMSL Aero also received $3 million for “enabl[ing] the optimisation and development of a quiet, efficient and lightweight propulsion system” of Vertiia, its electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft (pictured.)

A group of GrainCorp Oilseeds, CSIRO and V2Food was awarded $1,800,000 for a project on the manufacture of plant-based proteins — which are currently imported — and “develop the investment case for Australia’s only sovereign plant-based protein ingredient production facility at commercial scale.”

An IOrthotics-led group was awarded $2,044,034 for development of “a new generation of smart orthotic devices,” and will test a new workflow to supply patients in remote Australia custom smart orthotics to address diabetes-related foot disease complications.

The full list of grants awarded today were:

$465,183 towards a program by Seer Medical, RMIT and Tricycle developments to develop brain monitoring electrodes
$1.1 million towards a program by Alumtek and Alcoa Australia to develop processes for extracting rare earths from bauxite refining residue
$2.6 million towards a program by ARIA Research, UTS, University of Sydney and World Access for the Blind to develop a visual prosthesis for the blind
$3 million towards a program by Conry Tech Development Hargo Engineering, Automation Innovation and University of NSW to develop an ultra-high efficiency HVAC system
$2.9 million towards a program by Sun Pork, PIC Australia, Australian Pork Research Institute RSPCA, Rivalea and the universities of Melbourne, New England and Queensland to eliminate pig tail removal.
$7.95 million towards a program by Rux Energy, ATCO Gas, AMSL Aero, Hydrogen Systems and the universities of Sydney and NSW to develop materials for hydrogen storage
$2.1 million towards a program by Dasma Environmental, Brickworks Ltd, Recycleye, Ouroborus, RMIT and the Federation and Melbourne universities to convert waste into engineered building materials
$2 million towards a program by iOrthotics, My FootDr, North West Hospital Health Care, QUT and the University of Queensland tor remote orthotics manufacture
$1.5 million towards a program by Miniprobes, Meat & Livestock Australia and the University of Adelaide for a meat quality measurement system
$3 million towards a program by Jennmar, JIMACK and the University of NSW to develop underground mine rock reinforcements
$1.1 million towards a program by Repeat Plastics, RG Programs and Services, SR Engineering, Outwest Concrete and RMIT to develop recycled plastic aggregate
$1.1 million towards a program by MineSensor Services, Reliable Conveyor Belt and the University of Newcastle to develop wireless mine conveyor belt technology
$2.9 million towards a program by Nanosonics, Novapharm Research and the University of New South Wales to detect decontamination in health care facilities
$1.8 million towards a program by GrainCorp Oilseeds, CSIRO and V2 Food to develop Australian manufacturing of alternative protein ingredients
$2.9 million towards a program by Iris Biomedical, Zimmer & Peacock, Procept Unit Trust, Perron Institute for Neurological and translational Science, UTS and the universities of Western Australia and Monash for a device to detect hypoxia during childbirth
$2 million towards a program by Roobuck, Newcrest Mining, Roboworks and the University of NSW to develop an underground mining LoRa network
$712,604 towards a program by Trisco Foods, Japara Aged Care Services and Flinders and Queensland universities to develop specialist foods for dysphagia patients
$2.3 million towards a program by Nufarm, Kalyx and CSIRO to trial novel biofungicides
$2.9 million towards a program by Chalice Mining, Mining and Process Solutions and Curtin University to manufacture polymetallic critical minerals
$3 million towards a program by AMSL Aero, SIL3, Advanced Power Drives and the University of Sydney to develop an eVTOL transport power train
$3 million towards a program by Defendex Research Labs, Rocketech, RMIT and the Department of Defence to develop additive manufacture of a space launch rocket booster
$2.8 million towards a program by Nourish Ingredients, Proform Gourmet and CSIRO to develop an advanced lipid fermentation facility for food manufacture