Reinventing Australia's research and innovation system

Participants from diverse backgrounds across government, research institutions, philanthropy and industry, including emerging generations and Indigenous voices, gathered to address Australia’s invention challenges at the Inventive Australia Symposium, held at UTS Business School.

“Productivity is what drives living standards, and underpinning it is invention, research, and innovation,” said UTS special innovation advisor, Emeritus Professor Roy Green. “What we’re seeing now in Australia is the lowest level of productivity in 60 years.”

The Symposium was led by UTS Business School Adjunct Fellows Dr Katrina Skellern,  Dr Leanne Sobel and UTS TD School Adjunct Professor Dr Christian Bason, who are conducting a UTS Business School supported research project, Enabling a Flourishing Invention Culture for a 21st Century Innovation Ecosystem.

“It's not just about invention, innovation and commercial potential. It's about our society and the hopes and desires we have for our future… how culture shapes invention,” said Dr Sobel.

“An inventive Australia will not emerge from traditional silos. We need institutions designed to connect people, disciplines and sectors in new ways – creating space for curiosity, experimentation and the serendipitous encounters that often spark breakthrough ideas and innovations,” said Dr Skellern.

Former Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley, President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, UTS Associate Professor Susan Moylan-Coombs, and UTS Associate Professor Jochen Schweitzer are also leading the project.

Dr Foley argued that the Australian research system needs fundamental change, beyond process improvements or new funding programs, to foster genuine invention.

“We don’t just need more invention coming out of our research system. We need to invent a completely different research system,” Dr Foley said. She discussed the need for a connected, long-term research and policy system that views research as an investment rather than a cost.

Dr Foley highlighted how current structures are characterised by risk aversion, short funding cycles and fragmented discipline areas that prioritise predictable outcomes over transformative breakthroughs and said a radical rethink is needed.

Transforming institutions into collaborative, human-centred systems capable of solving complex societal challenges, is a key focus for Dr Bason, a leading Danish author, researcher and global advisor on transformative design and societal innovation.

He recently provided guidance on scaling up health innovations for the World Health Organisation, and said thriving innovation ecosystems combine culture, policy, place, and strong institutions to support the adoption and spread of innovative solutions.

“Scaling has to happen in a way that reaches the people who need it the most. You really think about people first, not product first. A piece that is important as well, is connecting invention to real need, not just commercial interests,” he said.

Associate Professor Moylan-Coombs, a proud Gurindji and Woolwonga woman, outlined three foundational principles to integrate First Nations knowledge and cultural responsibility into Australia’s inventive capacity; country first, belonging that carries responsibility and legacies.  

“Every idea takes shape somewhere. Every product requires material. Every technology uses resources, and every system affects relationships. Putting country first asks us to understand those connections from the beginning,” said Associate Professor Moylan-Coombs.