Through the Partners in Innovation Program, the objectives of the MDC are:
- To significantly increase the level of enterprise investment in innovation in the Australian red meat industry.
- To significantly enhance the outcomes of commercially focussed innovation thereby ensuring quantifiable commercial returns to individual enterprises and ultimately to the industry overall.
- To significantly increase the number of successful commercialisations thereby adding to the quantum of innovations available to the industry.
- To achieve commercial returns for MDC (where appropriate), which can be reinvested in Programs and projects that grow the level of profitable innovation within the industry.
- To undertake research and development with individual enterprises to increase the innovation capability of the Australian Red Meat Industry.
The projects undertaken by the MLA Donor Company encompass a wide range of initiatives, with the total budget for approved projects now standing at $76m. Currently there are 55 projects in the Partners in Innovation Program and 43 in the Plant Initiated Projects program.
The objective of MLA’s R&D partnership program is to significantly increase the level of investment in R&D by the red meat industry and increase the innovation culture and capability of individual enterprises and the industry as a whole.
In order to encourage a greater spread of R&D across all MLA programs, brochures have been produced for promotion of the Program to the biotechnology and on-farm R&D communities. Go to the project examples to see some of the projects that have been undertaken in the program.
For further information on the Partners in Innovation program, download the following:
To apply for funding under the Partner in Innovation program, download the following application:
For further information email partners@mla.com.au
Sheep Processing Technologies - Macpro Engineering Limited
Macpro is a New Zealand based processing technology company that undertook one of the first projects under the Partners in Innovation program to develop a series of ovine boning technologies. The intellectual property for the four machines arising from this project is shared between MLA and Macpro and is commercialised by Macpro under a series of licence agreements between the parties.
The first two machines to be commercially available were the Macpro abt-3ML Leg Boning Machine (pictured) and the Macpro abt-5MT Trunk Boning Machine. To date, 11 boning machines have been sold to Australian processors providing estimated cost savings of $150,000 per annum. For more information go to their website at www.macpro.co.nz/mutton.html
Shorthorn Genetic Improvement - Durham Research and Development
Durham Research and Development Pty Limited was established as the R&D arm of Shorthorn Beef. MLA has supported the genetic improvement project through the Partners in Innovation program since July 2000, and in April 2003, approved the final two years through to July 2005.The project will provide significant improvement to the genetic information available to breeders when selecting Shorthorn sires.
Graeme Mitchell of Durham believes that while the Shorthorn breed obtains a great deal of benefit from the project, the relationship with MLA has proven a “win-win” situation. While, Durham derives benefits from the input of the broad genetic experience of MLA technical managers, MLA gains broader industry benefit by exposing stakeholders to a “grass roots research project” and the opportunity to integrate the promotion of other MLA programs within the project’s dissemination. For more information go to their website at http://www.durhamresearch.com.au/
Livestock Recording on the Internet -LivestockRecording.com
This web based software application is being developed to integrate the systems utilised by producers and supply chains into one central management tool. It also facilitates the convergence of on-farm QA, traceability and eating quality programs with feedback to producers and animal husbandry records. The central database model enables producers to easily receive their feedback and management data, including individual animal records, without excessive manual entry or having to download from websites. The system also provides advantages to supply chain coordinators who can access the records of all animals on a real-time basis. For more information go to their website at http://www.livestockrecording.com.au/
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