Research and Innovation

The irrigation industry is facing significant challenges as it deals with the impact of reduced water availability from climate change and drought, and the implication of national water reforms on regional communities. In response to these challenges, we have developed a Research and Innovation Strategy to promote innovative ways to better manage our irrigation system and provide growth opportunities for our business, customers and our region.  

The Research and Innovation Program 2012 is an initiative that is also intended to build long-term relationships with individuals and organisations able to address emerging research priorities created by interdependencies between water, energy, carbon and biodiversity, not previously contemplated.   

At the beginning of this year, EOI’s were sought from individuals and organisations for proposals to address one or more of the research priorities that span a broad range of categories, including: 

1. Optimum approaches to manage and maintain infrastructure assets.
2. Options for the re-use and recycling of waste streams, with a focus on the re-use of large quantities of poor quality concrete.
3. Interactive ESRI-GIS based model which integrates regional groundwater and surface water resources under different scenarios, including drought, climate change and variations in land use able to predict impacts on both spatial and temporal scale.

4. Smart service to customers; apps or other solutions to enhance MI’s service to its customers, including ordering, delivering, communication and billing.   

Our Research and Innovation Program 2012 forms part of a suite of initiatives we are undertaking to actively create opportunities to increase the efficiency of our system and develop innovative ways to manage it. We know that there are many others working in our areas of interest and we are interested in developing long-term relationships with like minded organisations to work towards better management of  Australia’s natural resources in general and in particular the Murrumbidgee Valley’s natural resources.       

Want to know more? 

For more information please contact our R&D Coordinator
by phone (02) 6962 0200, mobile 0427 257 287 or email ideas@mirrigation.com.au.