February 2008
Review of the National Innovation System: an opportunity to contribute
I am pleased to invite you to contribute to this important initiative by the Australian Government, announced recently by Senator the Hon Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. I am delighted to have been asked to chair this exercise, working with an eminent expert panel, because there are few subjects more central and fundamental to Australia’s economic, social and environmental future. What we do now will shape this future, and future possibilities.
The terms of reference for this review are broad-ranging, recognising that innovation and creative problem solving involves looking not only at the drivers of productivity and competitiveness within firms and industries, but also at better ways to deliver public and community services. We also need to look at mobilising innovative capabilities around major national challenges such as climate change, population health and future energy needs. We need to look not only at how we promote a culture supportive of new knowledge and fresh ideas, but also at how we better support the diffusion and take up of new technologies and innovative processes across industries and the community. Finally, as an advanced but relatively small economy we need to consider our national innovation priorities within the global context of innovation, and where we might best focus our efforts for good outcomes for Australia over the decades ahead.
The Review Panel wants to alert you to the timetable and process for the review so that you can start to consider how you might contribute ideas and useful supporting evidence and insights.
The Review Panel will be circulating an Issues Paper around the end of February. This will flesh out some of the key questions we will be inviting you to consider and comment on. In March we will travel around Australia for public meetings to open up discussion. We would like submissions to the review to be lodged by 30 April 2008.
In parallel, the Panel will be reviewing the considerable amount of existing work and thinking on the subject, and initiating special workshops and roundtables on particular key issues for our inquiry. This will provide an opportunity to solicit the contribution of domain experts in specific areas. Finally, we will be promoting and supporting public forums with inspiring and informed thinkers to encourage robust discussion across the community. In this we will also be able to draw on the dialogue generated around the Australia 2020 Summit in April.
To register interest in participating in forums and be kept abreast of our activities and progress simply email. For general information about the Review you can consult www.innovation.gov.au/innovationreview.
An innovative Australia depends on our collective effort and I invite you to contribute to and share in this challenge.
Dr Terry Cutler
Chair
Review of the National Innovation System
Review Terms of Reference
The Government is committed to building a strong national innovation system, in recognition of the vital role innovation plays in productivity and economic growth, and in meeting the challenges Australia faces.
In this context, the Government has appointed an expert panel to review the national innovation system and the coherence and effectiveness of existing Government support for innovation.
The Panel will identify gaps and weaknesses in the innovation system and develop proposals to address them. In particular, it will:
- Identify a set of principles to underpin the role and participation of the public sector in innovation.
- Develop a set of national innovation priorities to complement the national research priorities, ensuring the objectives of research programs and other innovation initiatives are complementary.
- Identify regulatory and other barriers to innovation and recommend ways to minimise these.
- Examine the scope for simplifying and reducing program duplication and ensuring that any support provided is well-targeted and easy to access.
- Consider the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Concession Scheme in promoting innovation and make recommendations to improve innovation outcomes.
- Consider ways to improve the governance of the national innovation system to support higher expectations of government agencies and industry.
- Assess the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program and make recommendations to improve innovation outcomes.
In conducting the review the Panel is to have regard to relevant reports and studies, including the Productivity Commission's Report on Public Support for Science and Innovation. The Panel is to consult nationally and provide a 'Green Paper' to the Government detailing policy options by 31 July 2008. The Green Paper will be released for public comment and used as the basis for the development of a Government 'White Paper