In response to the Australian government’s $2 billion drive to transform university research into profitable endeavours, Steve Baxter, tech investor and star of reality TV series Shark Tank, said the focus should instead be on the country’s burgeoning start-up scene rather than tertiary sector. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in late January, announced the AU$2.2 billion (US$1.56 billion) Research Commercialisation Action Plan, which includes a 10-year, $1.6 billion program called Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA). The AEA—the culmination of ongoing consultations to revive the sector—is designed to bridge the “valley of death” where research projects are not advanced towards commercialisation due to risk. The rest of the funds will be diverted towards the CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures program ($150 million), 1,800 industry-focused PhDs, and 800 fellowships over 10 years ($296 million); and $247 million for the Trailblazer Universities programme. “Stronger commercialisation of research and ideas will mean a stronger economy and …