Securing Australia’s Future
SAF10: Skills and capabilities for Australian enterprise innovation
It is widely accepted that Australia needs an innovative, flexible and creative workforce with the capabilities to enable the country to maximize its opportunities.
While technical and scientific capabilities are recognised as critical, there is a growing awareness that innovation also requires people who understand business, systems, culture and the way society uses and adopts new ideas. Business innovation and productivity therefore requires the interaction of a broad range of technical and non-technical capabilities. International studies have found that while building capabilities is a high strategic priority for companies and the required capabilities have evolved, the methods for building those capabilities have not. This project seeks to examine the way that Australia’s high-performing enterprises identify, manage, build and mix the capabilities to succeed.
“These enterprises have excelled in their fields by taking a long-term strategic approach to attracting and building a diverse and inclusive workforce, capable of fostering individual talent and driving business-wide success.”
Professor Stuart Cunningham, Chair of the Expert Working Group
Launch of Skills and capabilities for Australian enterprise innovation
Skills and Capabilities for Australian enterprise innovation, was launched by the Chief Scientist of Australia, Dr Alan Finkel AO FTSE, at the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne on Thursday 21 July 2016.
Expert Working Group
ACOLA, for its established ability to deliver interdisciplinary evidence-based research that draws on specialist expertise from Australia’s Learned Academies, convenes the SAF10 Expert Working Group (EWG) to guide the development of a targeted study that draws input from several disciplines to create a well-considered, balanced and peer-reviewed report.
The role of the EWG is to provide strategic oversight and provide expert input, analysis and provocative thinking.
| Professor Stuart Cunningham (Chair) | Professor Peter Gahan (Deputy) |
| Ken Boal | Professor Victor Callan |
| Professor Tam Sridhar | Christine Zeitz |
Authors
| Professor Stuart Cunningham | Dr Max Theilacker |
| Professor Peter Gahan | Professor Victor Callan |
| Professor Al Rainnie |
Peer Reviewers
This report has been reviewed by an independent panel of experts. Members of this review panel were not asked to endorse the Report’s conclusions and findings. The Review Panel members acted in a personal, not organisational, capacity and were asked to declare any conflicts of interest.
ACOLA gratefully acknowledges their contribution.
| Dr Genevieve Bell | Emeritus Professor Malcolm Gillies |
| Dr Graham Mitchell | Dr Chris Roberts |
| Mr Raymond Spencer |
Project Funding and Support
ACOLA gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the Australian Government through the Commonwealth Science Council; Australian Research Council and the Office of the Chief Scientist. This research was funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council.
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Acknowledgements
The Expert Working Group is grateful to the experts who contributed to this project by participating in discussions, interviews and written inputs. People who contributed through interviews and consultations are listed under Evidence gathering.
Project management services were provided by the Australian Academy of Humanities, Dr Kylie Brass, on behalf of the ACOLA Secretariat.
These contributions are gratefully acknowledged.
The Expert Working Group thanks Dr Will Howard and Ryan Herbert, Office of the Chief Scientist, for guidance and advice throughout the project, and the ACOLA Secretariat, Mr Andy Jones and Ms Navi Randhawa, for their assistance.
Our thanks also to M. Amin Khaliqi from the Centre for Workplace Leadership for his assistance in reviewing the literature and identifying case organisations.
Project Management Support
| Project Manager: Dr Kylie Brass, Australian Academy of the Humanities |
| Project services provided by the Australian Academy of the Humanities on behalf of ACOLA |
Contributing Reports
Reports commissioned or specially undertaken for Securing Australia’s Future: Skills and capabilities for Australian enterprise innovation (SAF10)
- The role of government, industry and education and research institutions in developing innovation capabilities: Issues arising from key informant interviews and matters for policy consideration (PDF), Dr John Howard, Howard Partners, March 2016
- What drives firm innovation? A review of the economics literature (PDF), Alfons Palangkaraya, Thomas Spurling, Elizabeth Webster, April 2016
