Who We Are
About Us
Agricultural Innovation Australia Ltd (AIA) is a not-for-profit public company
established to facilitate joint investment and collaboration in the big,
cross-sectoral agricultural opportunities and challenges.
We are governed by an independent, skills-based Board.
Our founding members are Australia’s 15 Rural Research & Development Corporations.
We work with a range of partner organisations both from within and outside the agricultural sector.
What We Do
We identify, develop, and attract investment into cross-sectoral initiatives that drive sustainability, productivity and profitability.
As a single point of contact for cross-industry strategies of scale, we make it easier for investors to navigate and partner with Australian agriculture.
Our scope encompasses the agricultural, fisheries and forestry value chains, including input supply, production, processing and export.
Our Core Values
01
Creative
We encourage diverse thinking and take time to understand the problems we are trying to solve through a discovery process. We are flexible in our approach but always looking at the ‘bigger picture’.
02
Courageous
We take risks and are not afraid of failure. We embrace new ideas, use novel approaches and seek external thinking and partners.
03
Connected
We bring people, ideas and funding together. We are approachable and make it easy for our partners and stakeholders to work with us. We develop extensive networks and relationships across agriculture and the innovation landscape.
Sam Brown
BAgrSc GAICD Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Castellanos
BA CertGovNFPSenior Manager, Marketing & Investor Relations
Annabelle Van Klaveren
BBus CPAFinance and Business Services Manager
Agi Reefman
BA LLBConsultant
Liesel Alexander
BCompt CPA GAICDCompany Secretary
AIA’s purpose is to promote the research into and development of Australia’s national agricultural resources and increase the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the agricultural value chain by:
01
Identifying
Identifying nationally significant cross-sectoral opportunities.
02
Strategies
Developing strategies that facilitate a collaborative approach to investing in research and development, and the adoption of new knowledge and innovation required to realise those opportunities
03
Investment
Raising and acquiring funding and resources from members, government and third parties and managing that funding and those resources to implement company strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of initiatives do you invest in?
AIA’s Strategic Plan identifies eight priority areas across agriculture, fisheries and forestry, including:
- climate
- biosecurity
- sustainability
- traceability
- natural resource management
- energy
- waste and circular economy
- digital and data.
Take a look at our current initiatives.
No. AIA does not provide grants or grant funding.
AIA facilitates public and private sector investment into cross-sectoral agricultural initiatives.
I have an idea that will benefit Australian agriculture, who can I talk to?
Read our assessment criteria first.
If your idea or proposal meets these criteria, we'd like to hear from you. Send us a message via our contact us page.
Make sure you include:
- the challenge or problem your idea would solve
- who the problem-owner is and why
- which agricultural, fisheries or forestry sectors it will benefit
- how it aligns with AIA's strategic priority areas.
Is AIA a rural Research and Development Corporation (RDC)?
No, AIA is an independent, not-for-profit company established by Australia's RDCs.
AIA does not operate like an RDC and does not have a funding agreement with the Commonwealth.
Where does AIA's funding come from?
AIA is a not-for-profit company and does not have a pool of funds available for investment.
AIA develops strategies and initiatives which it must attract investment into.
This investment can be from AIA's members, rural Research and Development Corporations, other public or private investors, or commercial entities.