Dialogue and practical cooperation between our countries on key global issues has been strengthened on many fronts in recent years. Enhanced collaboration in science and innovation has featured strongly in recent acknowledgements of our bilateral partnership.
In March 2017, the Joint Statement of Enhanced Strategic Partnership between Australia and France (first signed in 2012) was updated to reflect a ‘new era of cooperation between the two countries’.
In 2018, the Australia-France Initiative (AFiniti) was established under the auspices of the Vision Statement on the Australia-France Relationship ‘to strengthen the bilateral relationship and establish a lasting and prosperous relationship’.
Both governments recognise that since the first Joint Science and Innovation Meeting (JSIM) took place in 2016, a number of strategic partnerships between Australian and French research organisations and universities have taken place, forging stronger links between industry and academia.
On-going government-to-government dialogues, including the JSIM, offer an opportunity to further the strategic objectives of AFiniti and the 2018 Vision Statement – including enhanced science and innovation collaboration.
The 2019 JSIM presented further opportunity for France and Australia to exchange experiences in facilitating research-industry collaboration and consider opportunities for closer science and innovation alignment in areas of mutual interest.
The JSIM also provided an opportunity for policy makers, senior executives and science representatives from major research organizations to discuss recent policy developments and programs in both countries.
Preceding the joint meeting, six thematic workshops were held on:
- industry 4.0
- space
- climate, environment and marine science
- plant ecology, biodiversity on land and agriculture
- materials, energy, and mining
- health.
These workshops provided an opportunity for discussions in areas of mutual interest and an opportunity to connect French and Australian research organisations and universities.
These discussions and the government-to-government dialogue will contribute to the development of a joint action plan. This will further strengthen our extensive science and innovation cooperation by identifying and developing future collaborative opportunities in areas of mutual interest.
- It was also agreed that collaboration will focus on increasing capacity and excellence in areas of mutual interest for the 2019–2021 period. In particular cooperation related to:
- space technologies and instrumentation, including those that support environmental monitoring and climate research, energy research and innovation, exploration of dual science and technology opportunities
- research-industry linkages (clusters) and innovation through on-going policy discussions and programs
- opportunities to widely promote Australian and French science and innovation
- research infrastructure, especially in the area of synthetic biology and humanities arts and social sciences and high-performance computing.
Ms Sue Weston, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS) led the Australian delegation, which included government officials and representatives from Australian research organisations. Deputy Secretary Weston co-chaired the JSIM alongside Mr Despréaux.
Mr Denis Despréaux, Head of the European and International Unit for Research, Innovation and Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI) led the French delegation, which included officials from French research organisations and departmental officials.
The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation look forward to the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between both countries and have agreed that the next Joint Science and Innovation Meeting will take place in France in 2021.