The Australian Government's Innovation Report

In 2005-06, more than 60 articles reporting research results and authored by BMRC scientists were published in
international peer-reviewed journals and books. A further 90 were published as reports or conference papers.
Scientists served on a wide range of national and international working groups and external advisory committees,
while staff made more than 100 attendances at external conferences, workshops and symposia, both domestic
and international, at which scientific results were presented. In addition, more than 50 overseas visits were
made to meetings of international bodies and to other research institutions.
Collaborations occurred with researchers in at least 10 Australian and 20 overseas universities, while significant
local collaborations were undertaken with CSIRO, the Royal Australian Navy, the Western Australian
Government, the Australian Greenhouse Office, and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety
Agency. Overseas collaborations included scientists from US government agencies and national meteorological
services in China, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and other Asian and Pacific countries.
Planning for major international scientific experiments was also undertaken including for the Tropical Warm
Pool – International Cloud Experiment, the largest meteorological field experiment staged in Australia, held in
and around Darwin in January and February 2006.
An important new collaboration is the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator (ACCESS),
which is a coupled climate and earth system simulator under development as a joint initiative of the Bureau
of Meteorology and CSIRO in cooperation with the university community in Australia.
A major indicator of the success of BMRC’s scientific programmes is the extent to which its research output enhances
the operations and services of the bureau. BMRC undertakes the development of advanced systems (including
regional and global models of the atmosphere and ocean) and techniques which, after thorough testing and
evaluation, become the operational systems that provide the basis for the bureau’s services and products.
Recent implementations include a new fire weather service, and continuing upgrades to modelling systems
used for tropical prediction, ultraviolet alerts, thunderstorm forecast guidance, ocean forecasting, weather
elements and the transport and dispersion of a wide range of airborne elements (including pollutants, volcanic
ash, bushfire smoke, the foot and mouth disease virus, radioactive plumes and dust storms).
More information about BMRC and its programmes and activities can be found at:
www.bom.gov.au/bmrc
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is Australia’s national science agency,
performing research in a diversity of areas to help build Australia’s prosperity, health and sustainability. CSIRO
adds to Australia’s research reputation and promotes its well-being by focusing its efforts around five core roles:
• addressing major national challenges and opportunities;
• creating new or significantly transforming industries to increase the competitiveness and sustainability
of Australian industry;
• delivering incremental innovation to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of existing industries;
• providing fact-based solutions that meet community needs and knowledge that informs government
policy; and
• advancing the frontiers of science.
CSIRO’s scale, diversity and delivery of multidisciplinary research, which is managed at the enterprise level for
impact, differentiate it from other parts of Australia’s research system. These characteristics are epitomised by
CSIRO’s development and management of the six national research flagships. These respond to, and create, major
opportunities in energy, food, light metals, preventative health, water management and delivering impacts from
our ocean.
Chapter 2 - Initiatives for a dynamic national innovation system 31