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Science and the making of Victoria |
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Table of Contents
A Consortium Approach to Marine Science Introduction The Origins of VIMS and Its Consortium Approach Benefits and Problems of a Consortium Approach Realizing the Benefits, Overcoming the Problems VIMS' Role in the Consortium Building on the Consortium Approach Conclusion References Index Search Help Contact us |
Building on the Consortium Approach (continued) However, I think there are opportunities outside Australia which, if consortium members determine that they wish to pursue them, will require a more structured approach. The marine research and education expertise in Victoria is second to none, and would be very competitive in providing services which meet the needs of countries in Asia and the Pacific region. VIMS presently is exploring whether we, collectively, should do this, and whether some formally-constituted and appropriately-named operating entity will be required. These discussions take our consortium approach to a new level of significance. As for VIMS itself, the consortium approach has clear implications. Figure 1 showed a plateau in the growth of VIMS programs in the last two years. While the effects of the recession on VIMS' activity can be clearly seen, there is another, more important signalthat some of the activity that VIMS is able to generate will lead to growth in partner organizations, rather than in VIMS itself. The implications of this are being explored in formulating VIMS' corporate strategy to cover the period to 1996. In it, we recognize there will be constraints on growth of VIMS' programs, for the best of reasonsthat VIMS will be striving to ensure growth occurs in areas in which it does not have the special capability, because it resides in one of our partner organizations. VIMS will continue to grow, but slowly. The exception will be if it acquires responsibilities and activities outside its present ones. For example, VIMS and the Port of Melbourne Authority are presently evaluating whether a coastal engineering research and technical group, presently residing in the PMA, should join VIMS. This type of rationalization, should it occur, will preserve an important capability and add to the collective strength in Victoria.
Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Victorian Institute of Marine Sciences
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