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Submission by Peter Burns on 06 November 2008.
1. Ensure Australia's continued elite sporting success
Please note that I will comment only against Terms of Reference 4 and 5, since these are the terms most relevant to the experience of Signature Mouthguards.
2. Better place sport and physical activity as a key component of the Government's preventative health approach
N/A
3. Strengthen pathways from junior sport to grassroots community sport right through to elite and professional sport
N/A
4. Maintain Australia's cutting edge approach to sports science, research and technology
In the words of the authors of the classic 2006 book Wikinomics, “mass collaboration changes everything”. In an increasingly challenging global environment, many businesses are realising that they can no longer afford to rely purely on in-house capabilities. There is a whole world of expertise outside and, strangely enough, much of it is accessible and available. Strategic partnerships are becoming the lifeblood of 21st century organisations. They are especially important when it comes to research and the development of technology. Through my links with the AIS Applied Research Centre, I have met many of the other research partners. Without exception, they are delighted with the quality of their relationship with the AIS and hugely enthusiastic about the collaborative projects. This point deserves attention. Over a long period, my company has participated in joint research activities with various organisations, but those pursued with the AIS have been by far the most satisfying and productive. Through my links with the AIS Applied Research Centre, I have met many of the other AIS research partners. Without exception, they are delighted with the quality of their relationship with the AIS and hugely enthusiastic about the collaborative projects. This point deserves attention. Over a long period, my company has participated in joint research activities with various organisations, but those pursued with the AIS have been by far the most satisfying and productive. The AIS has worked to connect its research partners with one another. This has given them the sense of being involved in an initiative much larger than their own individual projects. The sharing of knowledge and ideas has produced good outcomes, both for the sport research and in other areas. Sport is not an isolated industry but part of the broad tapestry of Australian community life. It needs to draw strength from other industries, but it must also contribute to the overall social and economic well-being of our nation. In its approach to building collaborative partnerships, the AIS Applied Research Centre appears to have captured the essence of this vision. It naturally wants support from its research partners, but it is also willing to provide support to them. This makes it attractive to many existing and potential collaborators. By any standards, the research achievements of the AIS have been exceptional, particularly considering that research budgets have been very limited and uncertain. There have been also some really notable structural innovations, including establishment of a sport-based PhD scheme that has added much research capacity and strengthened links between the AIS and the university sector.In my view, all of this qualifies the AIS to be the spearhead of initiatives aimed at maintaining and building upon Australia’s cutting edge approach in the areas of sports science, research and technology. But it really shouldn’t be as hard as it has been! Much greater and more sustained investment in sports research and technology will be needed if Australia is to remain a leader in these fields. My recommendations are simple. • Recognise, value and fully employ the remarkable collaborative skills, vision and potential for national research leadership that already exist within the AIS Applied Research Centre. • Use the AIS Applied Research Centre as the basis for building a much enhanced national sports research and development capability involving active collaboration between the AIS. • Surround the new Centre with a support network that reinforces the collaborative approaches followed over recent years. • Resource the new Centre at a level that gives it real chance of placing Australia at the leading edge of world developments in sport research and technology. • Provide the Centre with reasonable autonomy and the freedom to take some risks!
5. Identify opportunities to increase and diversify the funding base for sport through corporate sponsorship, media and any recommended reforms, such as enhancing the effectiveness of the Australian Sports Foundation
My company, Signature Mouthguards, is a long-time sponsor of the AIS Boxing program. The sponsorship has involved an annual cash contribution as well the provision of customised mouthguards to all AIS Boxing scholarship holders and members of national senior teams. My experience as a supporter of a sport program may be relevant to discussions on the possibilities of diversifying the funding base for sport through increased corporate sponsorship. I have taken a very hands-on approach to my relationship with AIS Boxing. I have visited the AIS regularly, and have been present at most events and functions involving the AIS Boxing squad. I have attended the National Championships every year, regardless of their location. I have even met Australian boxers at airports to provide them with upgraded mouthguards immediately before their departure for overseas competition. As a result of all this, I have been well accepted by the AIS Boxing coaches and athletes. I have been able to feel very much a part of the team, sharing in the highs and lows of the program. This strong sense of involvement has motivated my ongoing commitment to the sponsorship. I think many corporate groups now want more from their sponsorship dollar than just a distant association with a sport program. Strategies need to be developed to provide them with opportunities for real program engagement. If significant revenue is to be obtained through corporate sponsorship, ongoing market research will be required to identify sponsor needs, and plans will have to be made to ensure that those needs can be met. Another possible way of diversifying the funding base for sport is for Australia to become a serious player in international sports technology markets. I have some insights on this matter as my company exports to Europe and North America. In my years of association with the AIS, I have seen many research prototypes which could provide a basis for marketable products. But getting products to market is not a trivial exercise. It requires detailed negotiation with numerous groups to address such issues as likely local and overseas demand, costs of manufacture, quality control, and ability to guarantee supply. Neither the AIS nor the ASC is geared up for this task, nor should they be, as they need to maintain clear concentration on direct work with sports. The research partners of the AIS are generally more commercially-oriented, but some are small engineering firms that face constant time pressures and have much more expertise in R&D than product commercialisation. There can often be a failure to recognise potential for a single prototype to give rise to a whole series of commercial products. The question of commercialisation needs to be carefully considered. I believe that commercial opportunities should be pursued as a way of making innovations achieved through sports research available to the Australian public and maximising the national return on the funds invested. At the same time, sensitive handling of the process would be necessary to make sure that there was no loss of competitive advantage to Australian athletes. The AIS could possibly appoint at least one external agent to continually monitor and explore commercial possibilities arising from research activities. The agent would liaise with research teams and, following agreement on potential products, would have a mandate to scope out the required product development activities, determine costs, position the products and seek funding. The role could eventually extend to the cultivation of markets. To be effective, the agent would have to be very familiar with the AIS environment and culture, able to communicate well with researchers, and highly experienced in the commercial world. The person would not be an AIS employee, there would be no salary, but the person would need to have some form of official AIS affiliation. I for one would be very interested in taking on the challenge.
Page last updated: 06 November, 2008