National Enabling Technologies Strategy Fact Sheet 

KEY POINTS

• The Government is committing $38.2 million over four years from 2009-10 to the National Enabling Technologies Strategy as part of Powering Ideas - An Innovation Agenda for the 21st Century.
• The Strategy will provide a framework for the responsible development in Australia of enabling technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and other. Technologies as they emerge.
• The Strategy will help Australian industries capitalise on growth opportunities and ensure Australia can benefit from the technologies while addressing potential risks to health, safety and the environment.
• Enabling technologies have applications in many fields of science, industry, environment, agriculture and social outcomes such as health. They are the basis for building knowledge intensive industries that can provide sustainable, high-skill, high-wage jobs for Australians.
• The Strategy will provide balanced and factual information to support evidence-based policy and regulatory practice, and increase community awareness and understanding of nanotechnology and biotechnology.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• The Strategy establishes a policy capability to support economic growth by ensuring a whole of government approach to regulation, and coordinated engagement in international efforts to address health and safety issues.
• It provides funding for new and enhanced biotechnology and nanotechnology measurement laboratories and research so that measurement standards can be established for regulators and industry.
• The Strategy will also support:
• activities aimed at encouraging greater community engagement in debates about the development and use of enabling technologies;
• activities to assist industry identify where these technologies may prove beneficial to them; and
• the strategic assessment of new enabling technologies.
• Australian researchers, industry, workers and the community will benefit from the establishment of the best possible standards and regulation based on research.
• The Australian community will benefit from the responsible development of products incorporating biotechnology and nanotechnologies that may help to address some of the major issues facing Australia, such as access to new and more efficient forms of energy, clean water and improved medical treatments.
• This initiative commenced on 1 July 2009 and will conclude on 30 June 2013. The Department of Innovation undertook public consultations to help inform the detailed development of the Strategy. A wide range of stakeholders including Commonwealth and State Government departments, industry, NGOs and researchers were consulted. Details of the consultations are available on the National Enabling Technologies Strategy website. It is expected that the Strategy will be released in the near future.