Innovation & research

NSW Trade & Investment conducts a range of innovation and research activities including:

NSW Innovation and Productivity Council

The Innovation and Productivity Council is the peak body that advises the NSW Government on policies and strategies to:

• create an environment that supports innovation across the economy
• improve the innovative capacity of the NSW private sector
• help increase investment
• build stronger rural and regional economies
• build mechanisms for engagement in innovation between the business and public sectors.

The Department acts as the Secretariat for the Innovation and Productivity Council.

Research and Development

Research is pivotal for unlocking the State's intellectual capital, as well as strengthening the competitiveness, productivity and innovative capacity of our State. Significant work has been undertaken to align research investments with industry and economy wide needs. The Department supports R&D in areas including life sciences research, photonics, robotics and energy, as well as in primary industries, the latter through the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Science Leveraging Fund

In 2011-12 the NSW Government has made available $10 million to support NSW research organisations and assist them to attract funding from other sources.  Over the course of the Science Leveraging Fund, it has assisted in growing the State's expertise in fields as diverse as quantum computing, capital markets, robotics, bio-technology and environmental science.

TechVouchers program

TechVouchers was established by the NSW Government to drive the culture of research collaboration between NSW small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and public sector research organisations (PSROs). 

TechVouchers provides two funding streams to support business and research collaboration in NSW.  They consist of TechVouchers which provides up to $15,000 for SMEs to access technical research infrastructure and expertise for building more clever, innovative and efficient practices, and TechVoucher Connectors which provides financial support for PSRO's to employ 'Connectors' to better meet the research requirements of industry.

Other activity

The Department supports attendance at trade exhibitions and conferences such as BIO2011 and MEDICA, Germany. It also conducts significant stakeholder engagement which includes co-ordinating the Regional Development Advisory Council, the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council, the NSW Multicultural Business Advisory Panel and the NSW Export and Investment Advisory Board. The Department also runs a Science communications and outreach program which seeks to enhance competition and productivity in NSW by encouraging a skilled and educated workforce, with particular focus on encouraging students into mathematics, science and engineering.