Cooperative Research Australia (CRA), in partnership with Edith Cowan University, has announced the winners of the 2026 Excellence in Innovation Awards, recognising Australian research, development and industry collaborations across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, construction and mining.
The awards were presented on 21 May during the Collaborate Innovate 2026 conference in Perth, with CRA highlighting the role of Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) and industry-research partnerships in delivering commercial, environmental and social outcomes.
CRA said the six award winners and three Special Judges’ Commendations reflected the impact of Australian innovation, from healthcare technologies aimed at preventing hearing loss in children to mineral exploration drilling systems undergoing international industry trials.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Professor Richard Eckard from the Zero Net Emissions in Agriculture CRC and the University of Melbourne for his contributions to agricultural science and climate change research.
According to CRA, Professor Eckard’s work has helped reshape how the agriculture sector measures and responds to climate change.
Professor Eckard said the recognition reflected decades of collaborative research.
“A most fulfilling aspect of this award is that the first national program I led on climate change in agriculture was under the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting,” he said.
“It is now 23 years later that the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture CRC provides a coordinating mechanism to see the culmination of this research through to industry.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award (Cooperative Research) went to Professor Keith Hampson, chief executive of Australia’s Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, for his contributions to Australia’s construction and built environment sector.
CRA said Professor Hampson played a key role in establishing Australia’s first construction research alliance linking universities, the CSIRO and industry partners, with his work contributing to sustainability initiatives, digital tools and policy development.
Professor Hampson said the award recognised the efforts of long-term collaborators across the sector.
“Our legacy across the Construction Research Alliance, The CRC for Construction Innovation and Australia’s Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre reflects a relentless commitment to industry outcomes, collaboration and lasting impact,” he said.
“This recognition belongs to our people and partners—the champions—who have built it, sustained it, and will carry it forward.”
Special Judges’ Commendations in the lifetime achievement categories were awarded to Professor Vute Sirivivatnanon of SmartCrete CRC and the University of Technology Sydney, and to Chris Gonzalez from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
The Award for Impact was presented to Dr Intan Oldakowska, chief executive and co-founder of Earflo and researcher at the University of Western Australia, for the development of a consumer medical device aimed at addressing “glue ear”, a leading cause of hearing loss in children.
CRA said the Earflo device was developed through collaboration between biomedical engineers, ENT surgeons and research and health partners including Curtin University, Perth Children’s Hospital and the Earbus Foundation.
The Award for Industry-Research Collaboration was awarded to Distinguished Professor Vipul Bansal of RMIT University and NEXSEN for translating nanobiotechnology research into diagnostic products designed for global deployment.
CRA said the collaboration expanded beyond its original focus into applications including renal disease, neonatal sepsis, biosecurity and agricultural health.
A Special Judges’ Commendation in the category was awarded to Holmesglen Institute and Building 4.0 CRC for work related to Industry 4.0 practices and workforce development in the building sector.
Two winners were recognised in the Emerging Collaboration of the Year category.
Associate Professor Masood Mostofi from MinEx CRC and Curtin University was recognised for leading research into automated fluid systems for mineral exploration drilling, with the technology now undergoing trials in several countries.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Michael Wybrow from Digital Health CRC and Monash University received recognition for leading the ADAPt collaboration, which uses electronic medical record data to generate near real-time dashboards supporting healthcare accreditation and quality improvement processes.
Jane O’Dwyer, chief executive of CRA, said the quality of award submissions continued to increase each year.
“Furthermore, the recent Federal Budget strongly signalled the Government’s commitment to the role of cooperative research in lifting Australia’s productivity and sovereign capability, and these awardees are prime examples of this,” O’Dwyer said.
“They have each demonstrated, in their own sectors, how industry-research collaboration can translate into real commercial, environmental and societal benefit.”
“Now more than ever, this work is critical to Australia’s prosperity and global competitiveness, and we are proud to be demonstrating its potential through these awards.”
