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Australia-German Energy Science Deal

  • February 25th, 2010
  • Posted by EUEditor

solar-panels.jpgThe Australian and German governments have agreed to spend A$900,000 in a fifty-fifty deal to promote scientific collaboration between the two countries.

The Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, said in Canberra (18.2.10) clean energy technologies, including solar projects would be a key focus.

Projects would range across many areas including solar photovoltaics, environmental science, information and communication technology, geosciences, marine sciences, and nanotechnology.

The announcement  co-incided with a visit by a scientific delegation  from  Germany, and the two parties say it is the first time they have set up a seeding fund to promote research partnerships.

On the Australian side it will be carried out under the International Science Linkages program.

The Minister said that in the scientific world  Germany was Australia’s fourth most important collaborator as measured by joint publications, behind the United States, the United Kingdom  and more recently China.

“As the largest economy in Europe and a world leader in developing cutting-edge technologies, Germany is an important bilateral partner for Australia”, he said.

He said the Australian government had made a commitment  to increase spending on science and innovation this year by 25% — the strongest recorded annual rise.


Reference

Sen. K. Carr, “$450 000 for Australian German Bilateral research”, Media Release, Canberra, 18.2.10.

Australiann Academy of Science, Canberra, Home, 22.2.10.www.science.org.au, (25.2.10).

Picture  is.njit.edu