Protecting ideas and innovation for competitive advantage  

Image: A framed copy of the Certificate of Grant along with a $5 note ‘bonus’ was presented to Barry at the Geelong Wire Mill in June, the highlight for Barry, being able to share the moment with his very supportive and enabling colleagues. 

In our highly competitive markets, we know continuous improvement and innovation are keys to success, but protecting those innovations is just as important.  

Patents provide InfraBuild with exclusive use rights so we can reap the reward of our investment in product improvements. These don’t have to result from dedicated or intensive research and development (R&D) initiatives, ideas developed out of simple day-to-day continuous improvement activities can be just as important. 

A small but mighty example of this is when InfraBuild Wire’s Senior Improvement Engineer, Barry Hodge, came up with an inventive and novel idea to improve the quality and manufacturability of certain prefabricated field fencing designs.  

The innovation involved decreasing the spacing between picket wires at each end of the fencing roll. This seemingly simple yet clever change can improve the fence’s strength at pressure points in the corners of paddocks and the roll formation during manufacture, reducing the likelihood of damage to the fence roll.  

A patent was sought to protect the idea in 2018, that was formally granted by IP Australia in February 2024 and will last until 2038.  

Congratulations Barry, what a great example of how improving and innovating continuously is in our DNA.