New chair announced for Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA)
Australasia’s peak body for research organisations leading in best practice for commercialisation, industry engagement and entrepreneurship, has a new chair – Dr Erin Rayment, Director of Office Research Development, University of Southern Queensland (USQ).
At USQ, Dr Rayment leads a team that manages strategic research partnerships, contract research, consultancy, commercialisation and e-research.
Announced today at the annual KCA Conference in Melbourne, Dr Rayment succeeds former Chair of three-years, Dr Alistair Hick, Senior Director, Monash Innovation.
KCA is a volunteer led and driven non-profit, membership, organisation which provides much needed training, advocacy, resources, awards and events to research commercialisation practitioners and technology transfer professionals (TTPs). KCA also helps their members get together so they can learn from one another, and discuss and seek ways to resolve issues that affects all.
Dr Rayment said she was thrilled about her new appointment and embraced the opportunity to achieve greater positive impact in a “rapidly evolving field with profound changes in government, industry and research”.
“The rate of change is accelerating, and it is the task of technology transfer professionals (TTPs) to help their organisations benefit from change, rather than suffer from it,” she said.
“KCA has a kind of hive mind that members can access when they face challenges in their work, and I firmly believe that collaboration is key to coping with rapid change and deriving benefit from the opportunities that change presents.
“The challenges we face are many, like continuing to find efficiency gains; managing frequent organisational restructuring; and helping researchers adapt to a major cultural and political shift that prioritises industry engagement and real-world impact from their work. By sharing experiences and ideas, we rise together to meet these challenges.
“I welcome all the opportunities and challenges that the role of KCA chair brings and look forward to working with this growing group of professionals that will take Australian research to new frontiers of commercialisation and discovery,” she concluded.
Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia 