Partners in research

Dr Andrew Lepone, Head of the CMCRC-SIRCA Research Institute, explains how business and industry can transform their R&D capability with world-class researchers…

For companies and organisations to survive and prosper in today’s ever-changing markets, they need to be at the top of their game.  

Innovative, imaginative new products or services that satisfy the needs and preferences of clients and customers are crucial if businesses are to successfully navigate a landscape marked by fierce competition and constant upheaval. 

All this means that inspired research and development is not a luxury, but a necessity. And great R&D doesn’t happen if there aren’t great people to carry it out.

A top team of innovators and researchers, backed up by leading-edge support services, can mean the difference between profit or loss. 

And that’s where Dr Andrew Lepone and the CMCRC-SIRCA Research Institute comes in. 

Better outcomes and new insights

Over the past decade, the Institute’s Industrial PhD Program has graduated more than 130 world-class researchers, many of whom have gone on to be leaders in their field.  

“We recruit highly talented graduates to work on the projects that are relevant for our industry partners,” says Dr Lepone, the newly appointed Head of the Research Institute. 

“A real value for business, industry, regulators and other organisations is that the researcher is trained by us in the critical skills that enable them to work smoothly within the systems of the industry partner.  They become part of the organisation’s R&D team, bringing with them all the relevant technology skills needed to undertake such work,” he adds. 

“We have seen great results – the researchers’ work has real-world impact, driving better outcomes and new insights for users of finance and trading markets, health and insurance market services, and law enforcement agencies.”

Under the scheme, the Industrial PhD researchers are supervised by leading academics from CMCRC-SIRCA’s top-ranking university partners. Then comes the process of carefully matching them with an industry partner to work on key R&D projects. 

Critical industrial skills

“We are also very careful to ensure they have that all-important attribute – the ‘soft skills’ that mark great communicators, team players, and problem solvers,” says Andrew. 

“We also train them in the ‘hard skills’ they will need in their field, instructing them in the use of the latest technologies, including our own MQD suite of data-research tools, to make sure they are effective from day one.” 

Andrew, a graduate of the University of Sydney, can also personally attest to the value of the Industrial PhD – he was one of the first to undertake the program in 2004. 

“I can genuinely recommend it,” he says. 

Partner with the Research Institute

The CMCRC-SIRCA Industrial PhD Program can help: 

• Regulators
• Exchanges
• Investment banks
• Fund managers
• Growth-path businesses and industries.