To assist the Australian Fishing Industry to develop and capture economic benefits there is a need to identify and co-ordinate post-harvest R&D nationally and ensure technology transfer and commercialisation of the research results.

NSC funding of commercially focussed R&D provides business incentive towards R&D. This funding also provides important leverage for industry projects to actually happen. NSC funding support can stimulate industry development and subsequent production activities that would not have otherwise taken place. NSC-funded activities typically represent an investment of FRDC funds as a share of the cost of short-term, market-focussed, applied research projects with the potential for high return. (See Appendix I e Section 3.1). NSC funding intervention can also bring forward the timetable for industry led research, hence capturing opportunities and economic benefits sooner.

Research is by definition, a risky activity with a level of uncertainty. Risk related to research success can be minimised by ensuring that up to date science and scientific methods are employed and that capable scientists and investigators are selected and managed. Australian scientific R&D has failed in the past to harness some of its best science into profitable technology. Reasons for this include that industry has not been pro-active in directing scientists and that neither culture understands each other adequately. It is at this interface between industry and R&D where NSC operates. Successful R&D is that which is developed in conjunction with the decision makers and thus “owned” by them. By way of networking, the Commercial Manager of NSC identifies the various inputs necessary, simultaneous or phased, between researchers, producers and down-stream value-adders to give them the greatest chance for success.

The NSC is not designed to provide or replace the funding for longer term, applied or strategic R&D in the discipline of value-adding for the post-harvest fishing industry.