Built here, or left behind: what Australia's industrial reckoning means for the regions - RDA Sydney Regional Development Australia (RDA) Sydney is part of a Federal Government initiative that seeks to create strong, confident and vibrant regions. RDA Sydney provides support, promotion and advocacy f...

Net zero transition = new energy infrastructure, grid investment & industrial retooling at scale.
Economic complexity & resilience = sovereign manufacturing capability & uplift in research & technology investment rdasydney.org.au/what-austral...

“Industrial policy is security policy. I start from a social democratic understanding of security. A society’s capacity to withstand shocks depends on strong public institutions, social cohesion & a robust industrial base” www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/ti... @timayres.bsky.social

“Industrial policy is a necessity, not an obstacle, for Australia's purposeful engagement abroad and an economic tool to lift #productivity and constraints on growth here” Great speech by Minister Tim Ayres www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/ti... @albomp.bsky.social @timayres.bsky.social

Research and innovation has reached a tipping point Amid global turmoil, the report of the Strategic Examination of R&D (SERD) calls for “bold reform” of Australia’s “broken” research and innovation system. What better time to prepare for an uncertain ...

“The SERD panel has made a welcome contribution to a complex and undervalued policy domain. The government’s task now is to process and integrate this contribution with its wider, transformative vision of a Future Made in Australia” www.innovationaus.com/research-and... @timayres.bsky.social

History tells us a golden age can come after the AI apocalypse Societies must channel technological potential toward broad-based growth rather than allowing the gains to concentrate among the winners of the speculative phase.

“This is not a story about one industry being disrupted. It is a story about the capital stock of the knowledge economy being repriced in real time” Our take on AI transformation www.afr.com/policy/econo...

Australia languishes in updated economic complexity rankings A seemingly remarkable turnaround in Australia’s economic complexity was driven by new methodology rather than actually adding more value to exports, as experts maintain Australia is still dangerous e...

“Australia’s narrow trade & industrial structure means that focusing on the jobs & technologies of the future should be an overriding priority for policy-makers” My take on economic #complexity ranking www.innovationaus.com/australia-la... @timayres.bsky.social @albomp.bsky.social

Trump threatens fresh tariffs on 10 countries in almost as many days In the past fortnight, US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs against at least 10 countries. Some experts say the Trump administration's tariff policy is leading to the creation of new tradi...

“In the post-war period… the US might've got away with dominating not only its hemisphere, but the entire world economy. But those days are gone. We're in a multipolar world now, and we're beginning to see the formation of trade blocs” My take @abcnewsbot.bsky.social www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

“How much will AI change the world between 2015 and 2045? A lesson from economic history is that general purpose technologies like the internet take multiple decades to have their full impact” web.stanford.edu/~chadj/AIand... #AI

What does it mean to be bold on the economy? Australia’s export mix is dangerously narrow. A mission-led industrial strategy is needed to build competitive advantage and lift productivity.

“Essentially, the attachment of policymakers to a doctrine of comparative advantage has allowed the resources sector to crowd out the prospect of achieving competitive advantage in higher value, knowledge-based goods and services” Last chance saloon @johnmenadue.com johnmenadue.com/post/2026/01...

What does it mean to be bold on the economy? When the government is under pressure, Paul Keating used to say, “you have to flick the switch to vaudeville”. It’s a great line but hardly an option for the Albanese government in the wake of tragedi...

“The urgent task and opportunity for Australia is to move beyond a preoccupation with comparative advantage and, like other advanced economies, to evolve a mission-led industrial strategy” www.innovationaus.com/what-does-it... @albomp.bsky.social @timayres.bsky.social

Relax! Your 2025 ultimate guide to Summer Reading has arrived! It will surprise absolutely no-one that the common themes among this year’s Summer Reading recommendations are artificial intelligence and geopolitical risk, with a sprinkling of re-industrialisation....

My main pick for summer reading is Tim Minshall’s Your Life is Manufactured, particularly for those economists who like to promote the fantasy world of a ‘services-based’ economy www.innovationaus.com/relax-your-2... @timminshall.bsky.social

‘This will be my dream project.’ How we got Frank Gehry to design the UTS ‘paper bag’ The world-famous architect was hooked when we asked him to come on board. Within weeks he was in Sydney to check us out.

‘Frank’s unique approach was to start, not with external appearances, but to “design from the inside out” in dialogue with the users about the functionality of the internal spaces.’ My take on #FrankGehry, genius
www.smh.com.au/culture/art-...

Handbook of Innovation Ecosystems - Book Launch and Panel Discussion YouTube video by University of Technology Sydney

First was an interesting session on innovation ecosystems with a focus on Australia at the University of Technology Sydney with John H Howard, @profroygreen.bsky.social, Mat Howard, Bronwyn Fox, Michael Priddis, and Davor Jozic www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVla... (2/7)

Why Australia should build AI to amplify human capability Debates about artificial intelligence miss a crucial point: the real issue is not whether AI is powerful, but whether we use it to replace human judgment or strengthen it.

“The choice between automation and augmentation is not merely technical; it shapes how we design economic systems and structure our societies” johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11... @timayres.bsky.social

The Whyalla steelworks might be the best place in the world to make low-cost green iron. Will Labor seize the moment? | Rod Sims and Baethan Mullan If the government is committed to the energy transition and a future made in Australia, the choice that must be made is clear

“Whyalla provides litmus test for Fed & SA govt’s commitment to green iron. It has all the right ingredients for a thriving, globally competitive #GreenIron industry. In addition to low-cost energy, there is magnetite ore – ideal for making green iron” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

What was I doing on that fateful day Nov 11 1975? Presenting analysis of Treasurer Bill Hayden’s budget 📊 to the AMWU national organisers’ school (yes that’s Laurie Carmichael taking notes). By the afternoon it was Malcolm Fraser’s budget & school was out 😠

As part of the Albanese Govt’s Future Made in Australia agenda, I want to see greater national coordination of our #research & #innovation talents to address national challenges, inc global shift to low carbon industrial production @timayres.bsky.social www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/ti...

‘While this survey shows #Australia went backwards on most measures, it is particularly concerning to see our big falls in #education & training, and our persistently weak scores on #business agility’ www.ceda.com.au/research-and...

OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2025 The STI Outlook 2025 explores how science, technology and innovation can be mobilised to support transformative change in the economy and society. It examines how scientific co-operation is being resh...

“Adopting an industrial ecosystem perspective that goes beyond sectoral boundaries to consider both upstream and downstream industries can contribute to designing more effective industrial policies” @oecd-ocde.bsky.social
www.oecd.org/en/publicati... @timayres.bsky.social

Should taxpayers be forking out for another "unviable" smelter? Follow the latest news headlines from Australia's most trusted source. Read in-depth expert analysis and watch live coverage on ABC News.

🏭 SAVE TOMAGO! @profroygreen.bsky.social special finance vehicle solution is key to securing affordable renewable energy for the aluminium plant.

It'll save 6,000 jobs, protect a $6B sovereign industry, and drive clean energy investment! Let's back a future for Hunter manufacturing. #Tomago #auspol

Should taxpayers be forking out for another "unviable" smelter? | The Business | ABC NEWS YouTube video by ABC News (Australia)

“This is an important part of becoming a more complex & resilient economy. The idea we can do without #manufacturing and move to a services economy given that services don't contribute much to our export mix is a fantasy” @abcnewsbot.bsky.social youtu.be/FMSWsKbXvUU?... @timayres.bsky.social

Beyond the ‘Elbows Up’ Response to the Tariff War Canada’s long codependent economic relationship with the United States has abruptly and involuntarily ended. The election of a tariff-obsessed, unpredictable, incompetent, crony capitalist autocratic ...

Canadian parallels - “What would it take to become a leader in green energy, sustainable agriculture, green transportation, biotechnology, a resilient & digitalized high-value-added processing economy?” socialistproject.ca/2025/10/beyo... #NetZero #manufacturing #tech

Consultations for the review of the Energy Industry Jobs Plan (EIJP) have come to an end and the written submissions have now been published on our consultation hub www.netzero.gov.au/review-energ... #EnergyTransition

The dawn of the post-literate society And the end of civilisation

“Without the knowledge & without the critical thinking skills instilled by print, many of the citizens of modern democracies find themselves as helpless & as credulous as medieval peasants — moved by irrational appeals & prone to mob thinking” open.substack.com/pub/jmarriot...

'Tinkering' with the NRF on Net Zero comes under fire The biggest diversion from the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) – a $5 billion Net Zero Fund for heavy industries to clean up operations -- was announced last month by Industry minister Tim Ayres. E...

“The #NetZero plan is no longer just about high level aspirations but detailed execution of the #energy transition & diversification, sector by sector, of Australia’s narrow trade & industrial structure” My take www.innovationaus.com/tinkering-wi... @timayres.bsky.social @albomp.bsky.social

Is Australia’s latest research review a threat to university autonomy? The panel’s overriding concern is to ensure that research is used productively. But observers worry that pushing universities to specialise in centrally determined ‘focus areas’ risks inadvertently tu...

“It’s last chance saloon time for Australia’s #research & #innovation system. We need to get it right this time” No more kicking this can down the road ⛔️ www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/austra... @timayres.bsky.social @jasonclaremp.bsky.social

“More than any other place on earth, we have most to gain from a low-carbon global economy thanks to our vast solar & wind resources, mineral wealth, proximity to growing markets & strategic partnerships” @timayres.bsky.social www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/ti... @albomp.bsky.social

Manufacturing is about quality and robots – not cheap wages - Australian Manufacturing Forum Following the launch of a new campaign by the Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance aiming to “challenge outdated stereotypes” attached to manufacturing, Professor Beth Webster and Dr Alexander Gosli...

“Much policy discussion is grounded in out-of-date notions that #manufacturing depends on cheap workers & economies of scale. The business model has changed. Today’s champions draw from #science & #research for global value chains” www.aumanufacturing.com.au/manufacturin... @timayres.bsky.social

Generative & Agentic AI Industry Connection Ignites Innovation at the ARM Hub Our Marketing and Communications Intern Jeanie Kumar reports on two major events involving ARM Hub. By Jeanie Kumar ARM Hub has been meeting with leading voices in the robotics and AI sector across Au...

“#Manufacturing rapidly modernises our #technology capability as a nation, drives business investment in #research & #innovation and it’s where some of the greatest margins can be captured in global supply chains” says Prof Cori Stewart #ARMHub www.linkedin.com/pulse/genera...