Strategic plan positions the NSSN as an Activator of Innovation
After launching its new Strategic Plan 2021-24 in July, the NSSN recently held a series of internal workshops to translate the strategy into an action plan that will guide the Network’s activities over the next three years.
The NSSN Strategic Plan 2021-24 sets the framework for the Network to serve as an Activator of Innovation and re-calibrates the NSSN’s Vision, Mission, Values, Objectives and Strategies. The strategy is based on five core objectives:
Enhance the NSSN’s role as an Activator of innovation: the NSSN has advanced over time from a broker to an Activator of innovation. We will embrace and enhance this role.
Develop signature projects: the NSSN will focus on delivering large-scale signature projects that showcase unique and world-class capability.
Deliver valuable services to our members: the NSSN will return value to its member universities and demonstrate a clear return on membership investment
Quantify and validate the NSSN’s impact: measuring the true impact of R&D is complex and long-term. The NSSN will invest further in measuring both the outputs and outcomes of its projects, so its true impact is recognised.
Strengthen research capacity and profile: people and relationships are key to the success of the NSSN. The Network will build further upon the world-class research talent across the Network to develop signature capacity in smart sensing and position NSW as a leader in smart sensing.
The business plan, developed in consultation with the NSSN team and leadership, builds on the Strategic Plan and will fuel the NSSN’s mission to translate world-class research in smart sensing into compelling solutions that create value for the economy, environment and society of NSW and beyond.
The first of the three NSW Innovation Networks, the NSSN was founded by UNSW Sydney and the University of Sydney with funding from the NSW State Government in 2016 to bring together smart sensing expertise in academia, industry and government to develop a strong, collaborative and innovative network that will deliver economic and social benefits for NSW.
In addition to its founding universities, the NSSN membership has grown over the past five years to include The Australian National University (ANU), University of Canberra, Macquarie University, University of Newcastle, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and Western Sydney University.
The NSSN operates across seven thematic areas, including the built environment, data analytics, environment and AgTech, manufacturing, MedTech, resources and energy, and space and aviation. The areas are led by NSSN Theme Leaders, who are experts in their respective fields and provide consultations to research and industry partners on various topics such as collaborative research and development projects and avenues to receiving funding.
The Network has developed a matchmaking platform enabling industry and government partners to browse through NSSN capabilities. The database serves as a comprehensive repository on researchers with expertise in smart sensing technologies from across NSSN member universities.
The Network has delivered impact for its members by activating and leading several multimillion-dollar collaborative research and development (R&D) programs to success and has been recognised in the NSW Government’s recent Accelerating R&D in NSW Action Plan as an exemplar of enabling innovation by collaboration.
The NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN), an initiative of the NSW Government Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer, is a consortium of eight leading universities across NSW and the ACT that brings together academia, industry and government to develop smart sensing solutions for complex challenges.
Working with the NSSN simplifies the process of engaging with universities by creating a single point-of-contact for the leading research suppliers in NSW.
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