By Camille Thomson
Recently I was given the opportunity to attend the Launch and Forum of Innovation Aus’ The Industry Papers for 2024. The Industry Papers is the third in the InnovationAus.com ‘Papers’ series. An 80-page tabloid newspaper filled with the energy and ideas of policy and technology leaders from across Australia.
There are important questions being asked right now about Australia’s industrial capacity and whether the domestic capability exists to scale-up production in key industries and for key products if we were to experience supply chain shocks.
It was a highly captivating day listening to industry experts bringing to the fore the key factors that will secure the growth of the Australian economy into the future. Last May the Budget outlined $22.7 billion worth of support initiatives for a ‘Future Made in Australia’ encompassing many programs including the Reconstruction Fund and the Industry Growth program among others.
It is clear that we a moving towards a demand for digital industries such as Quantum and AI, in which Australia does have a lead in the research phase. Many a looking to create a National innovation ecosystem to ensure the investments we have made already can keep these from becoming the next solar panel or Wi-Fi story of our intelligence being commercialised offshore.
So how can ASC be a part of creating and fostering this innovation ecosystem?
We can be what was termed in one article, Innovation Intermediaries. A collaborator and a go between universities and industry. We can assist scientists, researchers and innovators reach across sectors to help spread the message, learnings and solutions og their work to new audiences.
David McKeague in his article on Rebuilding national competitive advantage notes that we can build advantage by understanding the Australian customer needs and how we can meet them in the new era. He notes that “a new competitive advantage is generated bottom-up from the industry participants” in contrast to a government top down approach. Dialogue between government and industry needs to occur so that safeguards can be built in. Communicators who can speak both these “languages” will have the advantage to shape the conversation.
Thomas Hadju’s article on the AI revolution points to redefining expertise to value that which is uniquely human. Skills such as analytical thinking, active learning and creativity. Science Communicators need to not see AI programs such as ChatGPT as a short cut to their work but as an assistant to allow them to use more of their human skills to create a better product.
Most articles mention collaboration, dialogue and up skilling for the new knowledge economy and we at the ASC should also be readying ourselves to be the conduits and translators of the new scientific discoveries that will be key to the future that will be built in Australia.