Australian Free CSIRO Program Helps Small to Medium-Sized Aquaculture Enterprises in Research and Development Plans

They are invited to apply for the latest “Innovate to Grow” program.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization returns to the Australian people USD 5.91 for every USD 0.70 invested

The free eight-week online program “Innovate to Grow”, delivered by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, helps local small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing solutions for the aquaculture turn early-stage ideas into actionable research and development (R&D) plans while building connections with expert facilitators and researchers. Since its commencement in 2020, more than 900 SMEs have taken part in the program. The new edition of the program will commence in September and applications are now open and close on 16 August 2026.

Mat Cook, Aquaculture Research Director at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), said the field of aquaculture offers significant opportunities for Australian businesses developing new products and technologies. “Whether it’s breeding, animal health, nutrition or new production systems, good ideas often stall because businesses aren’t sure what evidence they need or where to start with R&D,” Cook said.

“Innovate to Grow connects SMEs with researchers and gives them a clear, practical process for working out what R&D their idea actually needs,” he added.

Successful Cases

Rebecca Parlett, Director of Bio Tribute Systems, participated in a previous “Innovate to Grow” program. The Australian startup develops circular innovations to support soil health and environmental recovery and joined the program seeking scientific validation and feasibility data to help transition its early-concept innovations into market-ready, scalable solutions. “The program helped me to clarify the real status of my innovation and better understand the R&D pathway required to progress it,” she said.

“It also helped me identify that my project is not simply a product-development issue, but requires regulatory clarification, claims discipline, independent validation, a funding strategy and a staged evidence pathway. The program gave me a more structured and realistic framework for deciding what needs to happen next,” Parlett added.

Applications Are Now Open

The head of the program explained that, with the initiative “CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow”, aquaculture is open to Australian SMEs developing or supplying solutions in subsectors like breeding, health, nutrition, production systems and optimization, digital and AI, sustainability and circular agri-aquaculture, packaging, enabling indigenous-led aquaculture.

Applications are now open and close on 16 August 2026. The program will commence in September.

Improving Economic and Social Performance

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization is an independent agency of the Australian federal government responsible for scientific research. Its primary role is to improve the economic and social performance of industry for the benefit of the community.

CSIRO collaborates with leading organizations around the world. From its headquarters in Canberra, CSIRO operates more than 50 sites in Australia, as well as in France, Chile, and the United States, employing approximately 5,500 people. Over 5,000 industry and government partners, including nearly 2,000 small and medium businesses.

“For a century we’ve been improving the lives of people everywhere with our science. We’ve advanced Australia with a range of inventions and innovations that have had significant positive impact on the lives of people around the world. These include fast Wireless LAN (WLAN) connectivity, polymer banknotes, the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, and Aerogard, just to name a few,” they explain.

According to them, for every USD 0.70 invested in CSIRO, at least USD 5.91 in value is returned to the Australian people. Considering CSIRO’s 2024-25 budget, this equates to approximately USD 9.28 billion of benefit to the nation.

“We work with industry, government and the research community to turn science into solutions across six research areas: Energy and Minerals, Food and Fibre, From Wonder to Discovery, Nature, One Health and Tech Economy. We also steward research infrastructure on behalf of the nation and provide an important connecting role between science and society,” they assure.