Andrew Stevens, former managing director of IBM Australia and chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, succeeds Bill Ferris as chair of Innovation and Science Australia (ISA).
Supported by his deputy-chair, Australia's chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel, Mr Stevens will provide a renewed focus for Innovation and Science Australia (ISA), the Government says. But the task ahead is going to be challenging.
In November, Mr Ferris stepped down from his position after three years at the helm of Australia's peak advisory body on innovation, research and science.
As ISA's inaugural chair he oversaw a major review of Australia's innovation system, the Australia 2030: Prosperity through Innovation strategy plan. It's main focus was to lift Australia's business expenditure in R&D in Australia, which has been in steady decline.
Australia's BERD to GDP has fallen from a peak of 1.4% in 2008-09 that was driven by the mining boom to below 1% in 2015 as the mining boom ended. Worryingly, BERD has shrunk also in absolute terms (by 12% from 2013-14 to 2014-15).
Other major economies boast BERD to GDP ratios of between 2% and 4% (e.g. Germany to 2%; Sweden to 2.3% Korea to 3.3%), although a comparison of Australia with theses innovation driven economies neglects that our economy continues to heavily rely on commodities and services, while our manufacturing base is shrinking (now around 6% of GDP).
In 2015, the Government's National Innovation Agenda was to bring change. However, signs of success are yet to be found.
Together with Mr Stevens and Dr Finkel, the Goverment announced four other board members. Dr AlMaile Carnegie and Paul Bassat were reappointed, while new to the board will be Professor Elanor Huntington (Australian National University), and Professor Raoul Mortley (Bond University