In tonight’s Federal budget, “boosting innovation with science and research infrastructure” was allocated 1.9 billion over the next 12 years – that’s going towards health, manufacturing, agriculture, satellites for our GPS usage – and our space agency.
“This brings total Government investment in national research infrastructure through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to $4.1 billion over 12 years,” the Budget 2018 website reads.
$225 million is going towards satellite positioning across Australia (that’s the GPS part), and the yet-to-be-officially-named National Space Agency – rumoured to be scoring $50 million – will be getting $41 million.
“This will help Australian businesses capture more of the US$340 billion a year global space industry,” the statement reads.
The Government says this funding will also support Australia’s medical research sector, “which has made breakthroughs like a new needle–free way to deliver vaccines and the cervical cancer vaccine”..
Australia’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capability is a focus too – “to keep pace with global progress and improve our existing expertise in these technologies to maintain our competitiveness”.
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