CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has partnered with Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) to launch a free 10-week online learning program aimed at small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the clean energy sector.
The ‘Innovate to Grow: Clean Energy’ program seeks to assist SMEs in the early stages of research and development (R&D) or planning of innovative clean energy ideas.
The new collaboration with TRaCE will extend these benefits to the clean energy field.
The online program will offer a supportive environment featuring expert facilitators, experienced researchers, and self-paced deliverables to guide SMEs through their technical and business challenges.
“We need to bring our universities into the fold and see a shift in our approach where SMEs and industry are provided greater support to commercialise their innovations and de-risk investment at speed,” said Professor Emmanuel Mastio, Executive Director of TRaCE.
“At TRaCE, we are extremely focused on emissions reductions and our path to Net Zero. We jumped at the opportunity to extend our ecosystem of support through CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow program’s Clean Energy series.”
CSIRO views SMEs as crucial in driving innovation, particularly in the clean energy sector, where their agility and innovative approaches are vital for developing sustainable solutions and accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy future.
Dr. Dietmar Toubier, CSIRO’s Director of Energy, highlighted Australia’s potential to become a global leader in clean energy,
“We have all the ingredients here in Australia for the critical energy minerals that are required to power the clean energy transition.
“There’s an International Energy Agency (IEA) analysis that shows Australia can have the lowest cost clean energy of all OECD countries – we want to help achieve that,” said Toubier.
The ‘Innovate to Grow: Clean Energy’ program is open to SMEs working in various sub-sectors, including energy storage, electrification, energy modelling and integrated systems, carbon management, renewable energy, renewable heat, sustainable fuels, and others. Applications close on June 23, 2024.
Since its launch in 2020, CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow program has helped over 600 SMEs explore R&D opportunities and develop actionable business and funding plans.