Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) bring together researchers from universities, CSIRO and other government organisations, and private industry or public sector agencies in long-term collaborative arrangements that support research and development and education activities to achieve real outcomes of national economic and social significance.

The program emphasises the importance of developing collaborative arrangements between researchers and between researchers and research users in the private and public sector in order to maximise the capture of the benefits of publicly funded research through an enhanced process of commercialisation or utilisation by the users of that research.

The structure of the program provides a powerful mechanism for achieving its objectives through the contractual arrangements which establish each CRC.

These arrangements establish strong collaborative links between researchers and end users and others in order to create a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research environment focussed on addressing industry and user needs.

These collaborative links increase efficiency and cost effectiveness of research and research training and make better use of research resources through sharing of major facilities and equipment.

CRCs provide an enhanced education and training environment through the involvement of people from outside the university system in education programs and by offering degree and non-degree courses and training focussed on industry and other user needs.