Consultants in strategic business management, science & technology and regional development

Case Studies

Science Matters has assisted regional Western Australia, private companies, universities and research institutes with their development and funding initiatives. Science Matters has been particularly successful in helping the establishment of ground breaking new medical and ICT centres and the following case studies illustrate just a part of the broad scope of our capability.

Science Matters add value by ensuring a client’s time is used efficiently and applications are formulated quickly and effectively. Most grant applications are competitive. Our experience across a broad range of funds, as well as preparing other applications for businesses, means that if your project is worthy, it will be presented in the best light and be given an excellent chance of acceptance.

National Networked Tele Test Facility - a Commonwealth Funded Major National Research Facility

Western Australia’s only headquartered Major National Research Facility was established as a result of winning Commonwealth and State funds to help to establish a nationally networked facility that is able to test the design of computer chips, so eliminating the need to send the designs overseas. With a core facility in Perth scientists are able to log on at remote centres in other capital cities to test their design with support from technical staff in Perth. This successful project demanded the understanding and presentation of complex electronic engineering concepts to assessors, and the establishment of a diverse scientific network at the same time as working within the bounds of government policies and complex funding guidelines.

HaVe Cheese – a Private Business with relocation and expansion supported by Commonwealth Regional Development Funding

A small Perth based cheese manufacturer wished to relocate to Harvey in Western Australia’s south west and at the same time introduce new initiatives on tourism and manufacturing processes. Commonwealth funds were an important catalyst to the shift and the firm has been able to assume an industry leading position in encouraging ongoing initiatives for the training and development for small cheese manufacturers while providing an important tourism facility for the town of Harvey.

e-Medicine – a State Centre of Excellence

The Lions Eye Institute, in association with Edith Cowan University has established a research centre that targets the development of innovative and portable health care devices that are effectively able to communicate diagnoses of health conditions from remote locations. Such devices have ready application to Australia’s remote regions as well as to underdeveloped countries throughout the world. Partnerships have been established between research organisations and international health care technology providers, supported by a grant from the Western Australian government.

Centre for High Definition Geophysics – a State Centre of Excellence

Western Australia’s minerals and energy boom sees mine sites heading to the end of their active life on the basis of known ore bodies. Curtin University of Technoilogy has developed unique seismic based technology that enables the previously unavailable definition of underground ore and resource bodies. With the collaboration of industry partners and State government support a new research centre has been established to take the technology to a higher level of testing and express its commercial potential. Three dimensional plots of the location of ore bodies, water resources and coal seams reduce the costs of accessing valuable resources.

Gascoyne Murchison Regional Strategy – A Regional Initiative with Commonwealth Support

The Gascoyne Murchison region occupies an arid part of Western Australia and supports the minerals and energy as well as extensive pastoralism. Following a detailed and extensive community consultation process a strategy was developed to address industry and environmental issues so threatened pastoral leases could be incorporated into conservation reserves and resources could be better managed. Strategies were developed that addressed:

Economic development and structural change;

Sustainable land use;

Regional development;

Environmental protection; and social considerations.

Over $40 million of Commonwealth funding was won to support the implementation of the strategy.

Liveringa Pastoral Co – Environmental and Development Approvals

New cattle management initiatives in Western Australia’s Kimberley region demand sound environmental practices and appropriate approvals. Science Matters provides support for the establishment of a unique research centre on Liveringa Station near the Fitzroy River, and has been able to obtain all necessary approvals for access to water resources from a water course. A new cow-calf strategy has been adopted to lessen the pressures on the land at the same time as supporting large overseas markets that will facilitate an expansion of the productivity of the Kimberley industry, including a better expression of production potential on some Kimberley leases that are managed by Traditional Owners.