The Australian Government has announced $66 million in Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grants aimed at strengthening partnerships between research, science, and commercialisation to support Australian industries, including manufacturing.
Under Round 18 of the program, WV Technologies has received a $2.2 million grant for its Aboriginal-Led Global Cyber Innovation for IT and AI Data Centre Automation project.
WV Technologies provides secure IT asset decommissioning, data destruction, and e-waste recycling services, with the grant enabling access to CSIRO-developed artificial intelligence technology to accelerate recycling and boost jobs.
Partnering with the Worldview Foundation, the Pathways Intensive Employment Program provides pathways for Australia’s First Nations people to enter the workforce. Round 18 also included projects focused on robotics, technical elevation, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres said the CRC Program, established in 1990, “has gone on to support the growth and commercialisation of technologies, products and services across a range of sectors and industries, including agriculture, clean technology, infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, and health.”
“I’m pleased to announce a further $66 million in grants to support another 27 outstanding projects and enable them to continue to progress towards commercialisation,” Ayres added.
“The CRC-P program is bringing industry and the research sector together to accelerate the development of home-grown solutions to big challenges, create new skilled jobs and grow Australia’s economy for a Future Made in Australia.”
Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Andrew Charlton said the grants “enable more Australian companies to collaborate with researchers to create Australian solutions” and help ensure technology “works for Australians, creating secure, high paying jobs in areas aligned with national priorities.”
Alicia Payne MP highlighted WV Technologies’ project, noting it “has huge potential to achieve innovative technological breakthroughs, and deliver significant benefits for our local economy here in Canberra at the same time.”
She added, “The Albanese Government is backing Australian ingenuity and jobs to secure a stronger and more competitive future.”
Round 19 of the CRC-P program opens on 18 March 2026, with grants of up to $3 million for projects focused on artificial intelligence, and the larger AI Accelerator CRC Round 28 in 2027 is expected to make roughly $50 million available for commercialising AI solutions developed by Australian businesses and researchers.
The program forms part of the Government’s broader National AI Plan and ongoing efforts to revitalise Australian industry, create high-value jobs, and ensure the benefits of technological progress are realised domestically.
For more information and a full list of successful Round 18 CRC-P projects, visit www.business.gov.au/crc-p.
