By Crystal Ladiges

A friend of mine who lives interstate recently came to stay with me for a few months. It worked out beautifully for both of us. She had somewhere to rest her head, and I had someone to take my dog Benny for walks around the neighbourhood. And being a 35kg Chusky, Benny is very keen on walks. Long walks. Every. Single. Day.

So, what’s this got to do with CSIRO and science you ask?

Having my friend stay made me appreciate how mutually beneficial this type of arrangement can be – which got me thinking about Enterprise Connect’s Researchers in Business (RiB) program.

Under the program, a CSIRO researcher is ‘embedded’ in an eligible small or medium business for 2 – 12 months, helping to develop and implement new ideas with commercial potential.

It works out well for all concerned. Our researchers get to help solve real-life industry problems, while businesses get access to our scientific expertise, bringing with it competitive advantage.

The RiB program helps break down the cultural divide between business and the research sector, accelerating the adoption of new ideas and technologies to benefit Australian industry.

To top it off, the Department of Innovation will actually co-contribute up to 50 per cent of salary costs (up to $50,000) to fund a researcher’s stay.

So, if you’re a business owner you might want to think about getting a CSIRO researcher in to help with your R&D.

As for me? It might just be time to get a dog walker