That achievement has justified the decision to establish the centres. We also recognise some problems faced by centres in the difficult task of managing research, education and commercial objectives in a publicly-funded research system that is under financial stress. Finally we recommend that the CRC scheme be continued beyond the seven-year review term, provided that there is the flexibility to review objectives, and individual centres, in the light of their performance. It saw the main research role of universities as in the training of students and the performance of basic research for the advancement of knowledge. The Commission recognised that 'formal and informal linkages play a key role in the functioning of national systems of innovation.
Linkages provide a means to access existing sources of knowledge.
Even more importantly, linkages facilitate the continuous interaction which is necessary to sustain advances in knowledge. A main objective was to build greater research concentration in areas of perceived national importance, while the involvement of industry or users of research was considered important, it was not a central feature in the selection of centres in the first round. In subsequent rounds, industry or user participation in a centre was of far greater importance in the evaluation of applications and the selection of centres. Linkages The Academy considers that the CRC scheme has been successful in building new links between research groups and institutions, and strengthening links between researchers who were already collaborating. There is little doubt that the provision of significant extra resources was a factor in the building of stronger research teams, but the collaboration was strongly influenced by the establishment of centres with their own boards, and the formalising of links between the participating institutions.