The chair of Innovation and Science Australia has detailed six key innovation challenges Australia must address to become a top tier innovation nation.
Speaking at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, Mr Ferris said that bold action would be needed for Australia to seize on the opportunities while facing up to the risks presented by globalisation, technological disruption and demographic trends.
Innovation and Science Australia is currently preparing for a 2030 Strategic Plan that will include specific recommendations to address:
Mr Ferris emphasised the role education will play in providing the skills needed by innovative enterprises in the future.
"We need an integrated education and skills system that produces and supports a workforce capable of reacting and adapting to change. We must do more to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurial skills from an early age”.
Mr Ferris also floated the possibilities of using major high-impact large scale projects to drive innovation.
“In developing the 2030 Strategic Plan, we hope to identify one or more major, game-changing, initiatives with scale that can deliver significant direct and spill-over benefits to the innovation system and broader economy”.