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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has praised the signing of an agreement between one of the world's largest food and beverage conglomerates, Asahi Holdings, and Queensland's QUT.
Visiting Asahi's Tokyo research centre yesterday, the Premier congratulated QUT and Asahi on the agreement, which will advance their collaboration on joint sugar industry-based research.
"This project is a prime example of the potential success of collaborative research and development that my Government supports and encourages through our Advance Queensland initiative," she says.
"Many Australians are familiar with Asahi beer. What they may not realise is Asahi is also synonymous with not just a quality product but quality research and development."
The memorandum of understanding signed yesterday will see Asahi and QUT increase collaboration on research that, if proven successful at a commercial level, could have significant benefits for Queensland's sugar industry.
It will build on work already undertaken at QUT's Pilot Plant in Mackay, and the Premier says the partnership could reap significant rewards.
"I understand that through its independent research, Asahi discovered a low maintenance sugarcane process that would increase the yield of both sugar and ethanol without needing to greatly increase the input of sugarcane," she says.
"I also understand that Trade and Investment Queensland's Japan office facilitated the introduction that led to QUT's Centre for Tropical Crops and Bio-commodities undertaking testing of Asahi's development process.
"I am pleased to be here with a business delegation from all over Queensland, but particularly regional Queensland, to support the drive to build partnerships between Queensland universities and corporate partners seeking commercialisation opportunities."
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