National roadmap to change investment in innovation

Research and innovation have been recognised as a critical pillar of Australia’s future, with the Federal Government signalling a significant shift in thinking about how it funds innovation infrastructure.

As part of its commitment to the research and innovation sectors, the Australian Government will invest $4 billion in research and innovation infrastructure by 2028-29. An expert working group is currently developing a new roadmap to identify Australia’s critical research infrastructure priorities for the next 5 - 10 years, with a new plan expected in the new year.

Announcing the 2021 National Infrastructure Roadmap, Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the 2021 Research Infrastructure Roadmap would drive innovation and support Australia’s economic recovery:

“Our world-class science and research will continue to contribute to Australia’s response to the evolving challenges and opportunities we now face, and the roadmap will ensure our efforts are focused on key areas. The roadmap will also support our research commercialisation agenda by identifying areas of opportunity at all stages of the research pipeline.”

The working group tasked with delivering the road map features several significant stakeholders who are deeply familiar with Macquarie Park, including ex-Optus CEO Dr Ziggy Switkowski AO and Macquarie University alum, Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley.

Australian research facilities currently employ an estimated 1,400 highly skilled technical staff, and support 65,000 industry, higher education and government researchers, as well as a further 12,000 international researchers.

Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District, General Manager, Mark Ames believes Macquarie Park has a significant role to play in Australia’s future innovation capabilities:

"Macquarie Park covers an area as big as Sydney's CBD, and includes a world-class university, global corporates and an award-winning startup Incubator. We have the ingredients for an enormous innovation opportunity right here in front of us, where the boundaries between new ideas and opportunities blur."

"But innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum.”

“Our experience in Macquarie Park points to the need for a strong and sustainable governance structure to represent our area's needs, for coordinated programs to bring people and ideas together, as well as hardware like data capability, physical space where new ideas can grow - as well as really great coffee! That's why we welcome a national roadmap to boost local innovation capability."