News

The absurdity of our innovation theatre

Sally-Ann Williams is chief executive of Cicada Innovations, the nation’s leading deep tech incubator, “supporting visionary entrepreneurs as they commercialise research and turn ideas into businesses.” Cicada has been...

Victorian govt provides $180m for digital services

The Victorian government will invest $180 million in digital service delivery and $51 million to improve cybersecurity in the public sector as part of the 2021-22 state budget. Treasurer...

Victoria invests $179m in innovation precinct

A new centre of innovation will be established at the old Holden factory on the outskirts of the Melbourne CBD with $180 million in funding from the Victorian government....

Expert advice in policy: Pandemics and climate

The Morrison Government has made a hallmark of relying on expert medical advice in its Covid-19 response. What are the appropriate limits to reliance on expert advice in policymaking?...

Whitsunday launch pad for space sector

Queensland could soon add a rocket range to the list of tourist attractions in the iconic Whitsunday region with Gilmour Space Technologies getting state government support for a launch...

Untapped potential in clinical trials sector

Half a decade of domestic growth in the clinical trials sector has failed to attract a greater share of global industry-sponsored trials to Australia, according to a new report...

NSW launches cyber strategy to fill industry gaps

One year after the flagship NSW Government delivery site at Service NSW was breached, the state has unveiled a cybersecurity strategy that puts industry development and capability-building in cyber...

Salesforce’s $37b Slack acquisition gets approved

The competition regulator has approved the proposed acquisition of collaboration software firm Slack by CRM giant Salesforce for $37 billion, saying the deal was unlikely to lessen competition. The...

Govt ramps up investor visa requirements

Investor visa holders in Australia will have to allocate at least half of their funds to local startups and emerging companies as part of a raft of government changes...

Push for NDIS to explain ‘cookie-cutter’ algorithm

The head of the NDIS has revealed for the first time some details of how the technology sitting behind the controversial new independent assessments will operate, raising concerns that...

Next STEM leaders on show at Innovation Games

An agriculture skills exchange platform pitch has won the Western National Innovation Games, which this year focused on removing barriers for women in STEM, capping off a week-long program...

One third of DTA workforce are labour hire staff

Nearly a third of the Digital Transformation Agency’s total workforce are temporary labour hire staff, as concerns continue to grow over a lack of in-house tech expertise in the...

Defence sets up ‘Space Division’ with $7b boost

Defence will establish a Space Division within the Royal Australian Air Force in early 2022, after being allocated $7 billion by the government last year to improve how it...