UQ offers free carbon management workshops for industry

University of Queensland researchers are offering Queensland manufacturing and resource industries practical tools to manage their carbon costs.

With energy prices and compliance costs becoming critical issues for manufacturers and service providers, UQ’s main commercialisation company, UniQuest, through its Consulting and Research division, will present a series of free, interactive carbon management workshops.

The workshops will be funded by the Federal Government’s Enterprise Connect program.

They aim to help businesses create new commercial opportunities and cost savings by improving efficiency, identifying new markets and leveraging available funding in a carbon constrained economy.

Dr Paul Dargusch from UQ's School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, and Dr Marguerite Renouf and Jane Gaffel from UQ's School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, will facilitate the sessions.

The workshops will to be held in Brisbane and Mackay in July and August .

Sessions include calculating a carbon footprint, calculating carbon costs and savings, and identifying new business opportunities as a result of carbon management strategies.

UniQuest Managing Director David Henderson said the workshops responded to a growing need for evidence-based support, especially in sectors which are traditionally resource-intensive, such as foundries, mining, and food and beverage manufacturing.

“UQ has been at the forefront of education and training in sustainable practices for Queensland industry for over a decade," Mr Henderson said.

"With funding from the Enterprise Connect scheme we are making it possible for more businesses to access this expertise.

“Decision-makers attending the workshops will hear from leading academics who understand the complex issues facing industry in relation to commercial and environmental sustainability.

"It’s an opportunity many companies, especially small-to-medium enterprises, might not otherwise have to gain valuable insights into the implications for their businesses.”

Dr Paul Dargusch is the Director of the Sustainable Management Alliance in Research and Training (SMART).

SMART brings together Australia’s leading researchers and business organisations to inform and boost innovative research and industry training. It builds partnerships between business, communities and the research sector to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Australian industry, with partners such as Biofuels Association of Australia, Cement Australia, Billabong, Geodynamics, One Harvest, and Groundworks.

Dr Renouf’s Working Group for Cleaner Production has been responsible for delivering a suite of programs in eco-efficiency for Queensland manufacturers, in collaboration with government agencies and industry. This wealth of experience is helping businesses understand how to develop strategies for life-cycle assessments and carbon footprints. Ms Gaffel is a Project Officer with the Group.

The workshops are funded under Enterprise Connect’s Workshop, Industry Intelligence & Networking (WIIN) program and Clean 21 initiative.

UniQuest has facilitated five successful grants on behalf of UQ researchers under Enterprise Connect’s Researcher in Business program. This is the first program involving a WIIN grant.

Workshop Details

Workshop 1: Food and beverage manufacturing
Date: 13 July 2011
Time: 8.30 am – 1.30 pm
Location: AIBN Seminar Room, Building 75, Cooper Road, The University of Queensland, St Lucia
Registration: wiin@uniquest.com.au

Workshop 2: Foundries
Date: 19 July 2011
Time: 8.30 am – 1.30 pm
Location: Room 213, Chamberlain Building (#35), Campbell Road, The University of Queensland, St Lucia
Registration: wiin@uniquest.com.au

Workshop 3: General manufacturing
Date: 20 July 2011
Time: 8.30 am – 1.30 pm
Location: Room 342, Priestley Building (# 67, Cooper Road, The University of Queensland, St Lucia
Registration: wiin@uniquest.com.au

Workshop 4: Mining industry service providers
Date: 2 August 2011
Time: 8.30 am – 1.30 pm
Location: Souths Leagues Club, 181 Milton Street, Mackay
Registration: wiin@uniquest.com.au
Media enquiries:
Leanne Wyvill +61 7 3365 4037, +61 409 767 199 or l.wyvill@uniquest.com.au
Workshop enquiries:
Will Kershaw or Alexandra Simmonds +61 7 3365 4037 or wiin@uniquest.com.au

About UniQuest Pty Limited
Established by The University of Queensland in 1984, UniQuest is widely recognised as one of Australia’s largest and most successful university commercialisation groups, benchmarking in the top tier of technology transfer worldwide. From an intellectual property portfolio of 1,500+ patents it has created over 60 companies, and since 2000 UniQuest and its start-ups have raised more than 400 million dollars to take university technologies to market. Annual sales of products using UQ technology and licensed by UniQuest are running at 3 billion dollars.

UniQuest now commercialises innovations developed at The University of Queensland and its commercialisation partner institutions: the University of Wollongong, University of Technology Sydney, James Cook University, University of Tasmania, Mater Medical Research Institute, and Queensland Health. UniQuest also provides access to an expansive and exclusive network of independent academics to tailor a consulting or project R&D solution to meet the diverse needs of industry and government, facilitating some 500 consulting, expert opinion, testing, and contract research services each year.

UniQuest is also a leading Australasian provider of international development assistance recognised for excellence in technical leadership, management and research. Working with agencies such as AusAID, NZAID, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, UniQuest has developed and implemented more than 400 projects in 46 countries throughout the Pacific, South-East Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Africa. For more information about UniQuest, please visit www.uniquest.com.au.

About Enterprise Connect:
Enterprise Connect is a million a year Australian Government initiative that provides support to eligible Australian small and medium sized businesses. Core services include a Business Review for eligible businesses at no charge to firms and grant assistance to implement recommendations flowing from the Business Review. For more information visit www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au or call the Hotline on 131 791.