International success for WA science, innovation, industry and enterprise

A cleaner desalination process, WA success in America and WA Aboriginal art bound for Beijing - curious?

To find out what your fellow Western Australians are achieving in the science, innovation, industry and enterprise sectors, grab your copy of the latest edition of State of the Future. 
 
The quarterly newsletter, produced by the Department of Industry and Resources, provides a link between government and industry to share achievements and initiatives.

This edition features Western Australia’s internationally award winning biotechnology students, Oliver Tester and Bindhu Holavanahalli.

Oliver and Bindhu placed third and fourth respectively in the exciting biotechnology competition, the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge.

This issue also details the journey that a unique collection of Aboriginal art from WA will make as it is displayed to international audiences at the Beijing Olympics Expo. 
 
This is Australia’s only display at the Expo and features works from the Canning Stock Route (CSR) Project. Project Manager Carly Davenport Acker said the Beijing Olympic Expo was an incredible platform for the CSR Project’s artists and curators to celebrate Western Australian Aboriginal culture with global audiences.

“Our goal is to honour the rich cultural content via all forms of creative mediums such as weaving, carving, painting, film and photography, to create a time capsule for the nine collaborating Aboriginal owned cultural organisations, their families and communities.”   
    
A new discovery by a Perth-based scientist could revolutionise the desalination process. Professor Rick Pashley has patented a process that exploits the molecular properties of salt and water to create a method that separates the two. This dramatically reduces the cost and carbon emissions associated with desalination.
 
Also, September is steel month as Perth plays host to the Australian Steel Convention, and WA company United Industries Pty Ltd, expands its heavy steel and general fabrication factory.

The current issue also features the opening of the world’s largest and most technically advanced conveyor belt manufacturing facility; an update on the new International Radio Astronomy Research Centre; the official launch of the Bush Medivac WA project; as well as a call for registrations for the Leading Lights Innovation and Investment Conference.
 
If you would like to receive hard copies of State of the Future contact Marta Sabinasz from the Department of Industry and Resources on (08) 9222 3895.

To download a copy visit http://www.doir.wa.gov.au/documents/SoTF_Edition_8.pdf