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The benefits of collaboration between industry and academia are invaluable.听Industry gains by having access to extremely expensive resources and technology, specialist knowledge and skills, and access to specific resources and licenses required to conduct certain experiments. Universities profit by having opportunities to address real-world questions with targeted solutions, and a path to translation or commercialisation.

顿谤听Elizabeth Clarke, who has ten years鈥� experience designing and conducting biomechanics research, is the director of the聽, a biomedical聽engineering based聽research group. The Lab鈥檚 NSW Health anatomy licence paves the way for a wide range of research projects in cadaver tissue, and聽orthopaedic device companies can access these unique spaces through collaboration with the University.

鈥淚ndustry will have a specific question, or a need to validate or test a new device or technology,鈥� says Elizabeth, 鈥渁nd I can design the experiment with resources, equipment and technology that industry doesn鈥檛 have.鈥�

Elizabeth initially interacts with companies on consultancies or contract research and some of these lead to long term partnerships. One pilot project three years ago with聽听补苍诲听聽(BLT) paved the way to a 3 year聽collaborative grant聽worth $2.4M through the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre ().

The project is developing innovative manufacturing technology within Australia for 2 novel medical devices. 鈥淭his gives you an idea of the pathway to long-term partnerships with university and industry,鈥� she says.听

Elizabeth is also establishing an advanced robotic simulation facility in her lab, with聽five聽industry partners, including NSW government and聽.听

Their collaboration is establishing a facility worth $450,000. Hospitals such as the Royal North Shore and industry partners are involved in regulatory testing and validation for devices and orthopaedic surgery planning.听

This robot has brought expensive and聽time-consuming聽testing, normally conducted overseas, to an accessible location. Industry can run their research on their own schedule, access local collaborators and expertise, with ongoing interaction, without incurring expensive travel costs.听

Elizabeth successfully circumnavigated the complications between industry and the often-fraught bureaucratic world of tertiary education. 鈥淚ndustry works on different timelines,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭he partners want things done immediately.鈥� But researchers strive for a perfectly designed study before the results are even published. 鈥淐ontracts need to be signed quickly,鈥� she adds, 鈥渁nd procurement cannot take two weeks.鈥�

Likewise, the challenges for researchers are not immediately obvious for industry. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 understand my time is not free. It is paid for by a research grant. It takes a lot of expertise and skill which is why university salaries are much higher.鈥� A聽researcher's聽reputation, which rests on the results of a study, can attract more grant funding and increase their profile significantly.听

Industry can claim tax incentives and have access to government funding opportunities that match the industry funding schemes.听

Elizabeth has enjoyed strong support and encouragement from within the University despite the barriers of being a female researcher in academia. 鈥淢y boss and I have long discussions on who should appear first in a grant application. He is a huge supporter of gender equity聽but in聽reality,聽he聽has a better CV, due to my age, position, career breaks and therefore number of publications,鈥� she adds. 鈥淲e decided in my family that I would be our children鈥檚 primary care-giver. That means I cannot work a 60-hour week.鈥�

Elizabeth has experienced no setbacks as a woman working with industry,聽and also聽collaborates with women enjoying leadership positions within those companies. 鈥淚 was heavily pregnant when I met our partners from Allegra Orthopaedics and BLT for the first time. They didn鈥檛 bat an eyelid, signed the contract and I did the research before the baby arrived. This led to the $2.4M grant and ongoing partnership,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚f there is trust, it will lead to a聽long lasting聽collaboration.鈥�

Companies need exposure in conferences and in journals to promote their products. 鈥淭he advantage of working with Liz and聽I聽is that聽companies get inroads into recognition that they would otherwise not have,鈥� says orthopaedic surgeon,聽Professor Bill Walter聽whose research is published in peer reviewed international arthroplasty journals.

Allegra Chief Executive, Jenny Swain, said: 鈥淲e believe our collaboration with BLT, Sydney University and the IMCRC will see Australian companies achieve considerable recognition for our innovative capabilities.鈥�