A project to future-proof Australia’s winemaking industry from the impact of bushfire smoke taint is one of 10 research initiatives to share in a $25 million funding injection from the Morrison Government.

The successful Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-Ps) under round 9 will involve 29 Australian companies, including 22 small and medium businesses.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said among the innovative projects is research to mitigate the effects of bushfire smoke on winemaking grapes.

“The summer of bushfires devastated many prominent wine regions in the ACT, NSW, SA and Victoria and without scientifically proven remedies for smoke taint this will be an ongoing threat to the Australian wine industry,” Minister Andrews said.

“Developing ground-breaking strategies to mitigate the impacts of bushfire smoke on vineyards will provide economic and social benefits to the industry and right along its supply chains, as well as preventing millions of dollars in revenue losses like we saw this year.

“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting innovative ideas and assisting researchers and industry develop real-world solutions to issues facing Australia and the world. 

“Now, more than ever, it is vital businesses and researchers work together to collaborate on outcomes which will generate opportunities and jobs as the nation continues its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Other projects are:

• $3 million to unlock the true potential of non-genetically modified canola protein
  
   
• $3 million to develop technology that will miniaturise and simplify cell manufacture
  
   
• $3 million for the development of a novel system for space traffic management and collision avoidance
  
   
• $3 million to develop a new plant in Victoria to upcycle end-of-life PV solar panels
  
   
• $3 million to manufacture “shake-and-bake” kits which allow on-site, on-demand production of antibodies used to target and kill cancer cells
  
   
• $2.9 million for an autonomous mobile robot system to identify specific weeds and selectively spray or remove them
  
   
• $2.8 million to develop the world's leading high performance gyroscope
  
   
• $2.4 million to help commercialise an innovative new way of creating more flu vaccines
  
   
• $1.5 million to increase safety of heavy-haul and high-speed rail infrastructure in Australia

The $25 million in support from the Morrison Government will unlock a further $58 million of cash and in-kind contributions from 52 project partners.

Since the first round of CRC Projects in 2016, the Government has committed over $314 million in funding to support 145 projects. 



Media contact: Minister Andrews' office: 02 6277 7070