Forming a science infrastructure to bolster our country’s goals

The Australian Academy of Science is currently working on a ten-year plan titled ‘Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035’ to showcase how science must evolve to meet our national goals and advance Australian interests both locally and globally. This plan will evaluate the capability of Australia’s science system in terms of competition, collaboration, and contributions to the economy, security, health, and quality of life.

President of the Academy, Professor Chennupati Jagadish, highlighted the nation’s aspirations to decarbonize and diversify the economy, strengthen defense capabilities, and enhance sovereign capability. He emphasized the need for a resilient and responsive science system to support these ambitions effectively.

Given the challenges that will shape the nation’s future, Professor Jagadish stressed the importance of having the capacity, technology, skills, and knowledge necessary to address these challenges. The upcoming initiative, ‘Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035,’ aims to provide decision-makers with evidence to identify capability gaps and allocate resources strategically.

The Academy will engage experts from its Fellowship and beyond in the research and innovation sectors to inform this initiative. Sector consultations and analysis will take place throughout 2024, with the Academy set to deliver an independent report in early 2025. The Advisory Group members for this project include a diverse group of experts from various fields.

Overall, ‘Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035’ seeks to equip decision-makers with the information needed to ensure that Australia’s science system is well-structured to support national ambitions effectively.