The re-election of Labor in May’s Federal election was soon followed by another drop in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s official interest rate, with the hope that cost of living pressures will fall in the near future. There is also hope that the Federal Government will see the election result as an opportunity to develop policies that will support a more stable university sector after a period of declining income from international students and questions about the sector’s social license to operate. Irrespective of how the Government decides to invest in the sector, Australian universities will undoubtedly need to show that they are able to leverage global leadership in fundamental research to address the complex challenges facing the nation. And one key way to achieve this is to ensure that our best researchers understand the needs of industry – ideally through face-to-face meetings that bring industry and researchers together.

It was the above in mind that the Agrifood Innovation Institute (AFII) was pleased to facilitate connections between ANU researchers and SunRice’s Head of Agribusiness Nicole Griffin and Research Development Director Adam Cheney. SunRice is an Australian-owned business that is increasingly global in its outlook. In setting up the meeting, our goal was to help our researchers learn about the needs of the rice industry, while also showcasing the diversity of STEM- and HASS-related research at ANU in areas of relevance to SunRice. This included expertise in:

• embedded emissions accounting frameworks for trade in a net-zero world (Saule Burkitbayeva)
• policy-oriented research on energy transitions and water governance in Vietnam and elsewhere in South East Asia (Thang Nam Do)
• social science dimensions of sustainable food systems (Ewelina Przybyszewski)
• transformation of agricultural energy systems (Martin Amidy)
• applications of synthetic biology to improve productivity and climate resilient rice (Robert Furbank)
• hacking plant-microbe interactions to improve agricultural nitrogen use efficiency (Uli Mathesius)
• plant-inspired advanced membrane separation technologies to harvest nutrients from liquid waste streams (Caitlin Byrt)
• rice research capacity in Indonesia (Hendry Susila)
• training the next generation of industry-ready crop researchers (Lauren Du Fall)
• how advances in plant phenotyping creates opportunity to increase crop production and sustainability (Richard Poire).

We look forward to facilitating similar connections with other agrifood companies.

During May, AFII was also pleased to host the annual meeting of researchers working to improve heat tolerance of leaf energy metabolism wheat. The team, comprising members from The Australian National University, The University of Western Australia, University of Sydney, Australian Plant Phenomics Network, University of New England (AU) and InterGrain, is supported in this work by the Grains Research and Development Corporation. The teams outlined results from last year’s field work in WA and NSW, along with insights from wheat responses to simulated heatwaves created under highly controlled conditions at the Australian Plant Phenomics Network facilities at ANU. The meeting was an opportunity to plan for the upcoming field season’s work at Merredin WA and Narrabri NSW.

On 12 May 12, coinciding with the International Day of Plant Health, ANU proudly launched the ARC Training Centre for Plant Biosecurity, a significant $10 million, five-year initiative funded by the Australian Research Council. Led by Peter Solomon, the Centre unites ANU, James Cook University, the University of Canberra, and 27 partner organisations from industry and government, including Plant Health Australia and Sugar Research Australia. Rachael Rodney Harris – lead of the AFFI’s Innovation Training Initiative – will contribute to the Training Centre’s mission to equip the next generation of biosecurity leaders with cutting-edge skills in novel diagnostic technologies, data-driven decision platforms, and effective communication strategies. The timely investment by the ARC will help transform Australia’s plant biosecurity sector, and in doing so, safeguard our multibillion-dollar agricultural, horticultural, and forestry industries, as well as our unique native ecosystems, while also reinforcing Australia’s position as a global leader in plant health.

May was also a month when former ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt and Richard Holden jointly addressed the National Press Club on ‘Securing Australia’s Sovereign Research Capability’. Both speakers underscored that sustained investment in fundamental research is the bedrock of future innovation and productivity. Professor Holden highlighted how “generating and applying knowledge is the cornerstone of GDP growth”. Importantly, both were concerned that Australia was falling behind other countries in R&D investment. Professor Schmidt highlighted the urgent need for long-term policy continuity and the need for the R&D ecosystem to be designed so that it better supports both fundamental and applied research, and so that it supports the development of ideas that serve the public good.

Finally, we recently welcomed Phenospex as the newest industry member of the Agrifood Hub on the ANU campus. Phenospex is a Dutch-based, global technology company who manufacture and install digital solutions that capture crop data and translate it into information that researchers, breeders and agrifood stakeholders can use to improve the productivity and resilience of a range of crop plants. If your company would also like to join the Agrifood Hub, please contact our team at agrifood@anu.edu.au