By CASEY NEILL
A CHEMICAL manufacturer in Noble Park is bringing a new deal to innovation.
Industry, Innovation and Science Minister Christopher Pyne and Liberal candidate for Bruce Helen Kroger visited Boron Molecular on Wednesday 9 March.
Boron Molecular managing director Zoran Manev led a facility tour.
“I think there was a genuine interest once they saw what we did, how we do it,” he said.
“We spoke of the master agreement that we had signed with the CSIRO and how it’s novel and it’s a new approach to establishing relationships between CSIRO and industry.
“We then spoke of further models for further engagement, how we could be of mutual benefit to each other.
“The minister was very supportive, I felt.”
He said the CSIRO was working on more technology that Boron could commercialise for use.
“Rather than doing a peace deal for every project, we worked on an all-encompassing master agreement,” he said.
“That gives us the freedom to look at any technology that’s out of the CSIRO.
“You don’t have to go through all the negotiation, the paperwork.
“It streamlines the process of taking the technology and commercialising it.”
They signed the deal last November following almost a year of work. It also allows for Mr Manev to bring focused inquiries from customers to the CSIRO.
“I write a business case and CSIRO assists with developing the chemistry so I can manufacture the product,” he said.
“I’m almost like a scout.
“The master agreement has a royalty payment to the CSIRO.
“They help me develop the chemistry, I get sales, their royalty goes up.”
He’s hoping to expand the relationship to fund Boron’s growth.
“We need capital, we need resources,” he said.
“Possibly a logical step would be for the CSIRO to take an equity position in Boron so it, too, could benefit from the growth that we’re experiencing.
“There’s a lot of companies that the CSIRO has had a stake in, and holds a stake in.
“It’s not new, per se, but it’s still different … it’s still a different model altogether.”
Mr Manev said about 98 per cent of the company’s sales were export.
“Typically our products will go into pharmaceuticals, material science and agricultural chemical,” he said.
“We’re a low-volume, high-value model. We’re very much niche molecules.”
Boron is currently “nicely tucked away off the Princes Highway”.
“We’re hoping that within the next year or two that we will relocate from our existing site,” Mr Manev said.
“We have plans to install larger-capacity reactor trays to support the growth in demand.”
He hopes to stay in Greater Dandenong.
“That area suits us perfectly. The proximity of Monash University, the CSIRO,” he said.
“Effectively it’s a hub of experience and knowledge. It’s where we draw our workforce from.”
