Australian inventor and TAFE educator Keith Higgins has criticised the lack of support in his home country, after he had to look to China for help developing his LED lighting innovations.
 
Higgins told the Blacktown Sun that, over five years, he received $65 million from China, as well as assistance from a team of Chinese scientists to develop his energy efficient LED lights.
 
‘‘Most Australian lighting is inefficient as incandescent lights produce light and heat,” he told the Sun of his lights, which have been featured on the ABC’s New Inventors program.
 
‘‘While fluoros are more efficient than incandescents, they rely on mercury, a toxic chemical.’’
 
Higgins, who lectures on sustainable electronics at Mount Druitt and Nirimba TAFEs, also expressed disappointment at the slow take-up of LED lighting in Australia, though it is used in China, Germany, England and other countries.
 
‘‘Australians only look at the cost of my light that is about twice the cost of their current light,’’ he said.
 
‘‘They forgot mine uses about 80 per cent less electricity and can last up to 50,000 hours.”