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CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation

CRC 1 – 2001 to 2007

Following the end of the CRC for Premium Quality Wool AWET’s Trustees decided to work with the new Australian CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation, which was established on 1st July 2001. The Trust was a supporting partner of this Sheep CRC.

Dr David Cottle was appointed to the Chair of Sheep and Wool Science at the University of New England to lead the CRC’s program to develop Undergraduate and Vocational Educational and Training resources. As part of this role he co-ordinated the ongoing maintenance and expansion of the educational resources provided by the CRC Premium Quality Wool.

Dr Graham Gardner took the lead on the Postgraduate program throughout this and subsequent iterations of the Sheep CRC.

The Sheep Industry CRC had a much broader mandate, and was based around 4 project streams:

  • Strategic research into genetics, wool science, meat science and parasite management;
  • Precision production: an integrated meat and wool production system based on electronic measurement, management, and marketing of animals according to their individual merit;
  • Implementing innovation: delivering information to industry via communication, information and extension mechanisms; and
  • Education and training: delivering a dynamic program of education including postgraduate research, undergraduate education, vocational, school and industry training.

The educational materials generated by the Sheep CRC  are also now owned by AWET and made available via Woolwise.

Australian Sheep CRC 2 – 2007 to 2014

The Sheep CRC 2 was set up with the ambitious goal of transforming wool, meat and the sheep that produce them. Central to the second Sheep CRC was the Information Nucleus Program designed to enable the sophisticated use of genomic technologies in the Australian sheep industry, as well as creating a most valuable database for better understanding practically all aspects of sheep biology. Wool and meat programs focussed on understanding consumer requirements for high-value products and how to reliably deliver the required combination of characteristics needed to position both wool and meat as high-value niche products.

Australian Sheep CRC 3 – 2014 to 2019

The Sheep CRC 3 was designed to continue the transformation commenced during CRC2 and deliver industry impact through making the possible practical. The three closely integrated programs covering enhanced sheep wellbeing, the quality-based meat value chain and faster affordable genetic gain have achieved the goal and delivered a strong finish and logical end point for the Sheep CRC’s term.

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Sheep Industry Innovation had three terms over an 18 year period and ceased operations in June 2019. An archived web site with information about the CRC’s activities and achievements has been placed Trove.


Concept to Impact – The Story of the Sheep CRC 2001 – 2019

Concept to Impact Cover “Concept to Impact” is the story of the Sheep CRC from its start in 2001 through to the end of its term in 2019. The book describes an integrated program of industry-led research, drawing on productive collaboration between over 40 organisations, that delivered transformational change for the sheep industry. Education and training programs were designed to build capacity and provide the skills for implementing innovation.

Major Achievements for Industry

Between 2001 and 2019 the CRC included over 40 organisations working collaboratively to deliver new technologies that would contribute to rapid industry change. To read more about these technologies CLICK HERE.