Dr. E. van Leeuwen has made major contributions to the changes in Australian industrial R&D that have taken place over the past decade. From his position in BHP, he Im contributed to lhe initiation and management of 10 CRC, and has made major contributions to government programs to improve manufacturing in Australia. He has been an innovative manager of BHPs R&D in support of minmineral exploraion and in particular has personally led the program that has developed the world's first operation airborne gravity mapping system. This is an outstanding achievement of world wide significance that will revolutionise mineral exploration.