Claim OwnershipInnovationAus Podcast
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James Riley and the InnovationAus team talks to corporate, academic and political leaders about what’s driving the transformation of Australia’s economy toward a 21st Century mindset. InnovationAus is an independent publication that reports on government policy as it affects technology-based innovation across the nation’s growth industries. From mining and agriculture to financial services, MedTech, cyber security and advanced manufacturing. The journalism focuses on the opportunities that align with Australia’s strategic priorities and connects government, institutional researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and the mainstream business community.
218 Episodes
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In this episode of Commercial Disco, SmartCrete CRC chief executive Clare Tubolets warns that Australia risks missing a multibillion-dollar global opportunity in low-carbon concrete unless governments maintain ambitious net-zero targets and help remove the systemic barriers to adoption. She explains why Australia’s research, supply-chain collaboration and technical capability put it in a strong position to lead -- but only if policy settings, procurement frameworks and risk-sharing mechanisms evolve to match the science.
Australia talks endlessly about innovation, but struggles to turn ambition into impact. In this episode of Commercial Disco, Rozetta Institute chief executive Paul Dalby explains why the real problem isn’t technology or talent, but coordination — and how fixing systemic barriers across AI, energy and critical minerals could unlock billions in national value. Dalby outlines Rozetta’s unconventional, self-funded model and argues for a sharper focus on agency, resilience and industrial strategy in a more volatile global economy.
In this episode of Commercial Disco, journalist and author Jacob Ward argues that AI is accelerating faster than our understanding of human behaviour, creating systems optimised to exploit our cognitive biases rather than elevate our decision-making. He warns that without new safeguards — from “cognitive liberty” protections to cultural norms that reject over-reliance on AI — we risk flattening human creativity, autonomy and agency at global scale.
In this special episode of InnovationAus' weekly NewsWrap, join publisher Corrie McLeod, editor Justin Hendry and correspondent James Riley on a trip down memory lane, reliving the big themes of the year's reporting.
In this episode of Commercial Disco, National Reconstruction Fund Corporation chief executive David Gall says Australia is “nowhere near running out of opportunities”, emphasising that the real constraint is patient capital — not a shortage of investible companies. He explains how the NRF is backing firms across medtech, manufacturing and critical minerals, while crowding in private investment to bring more Australian innovation through long commercialisation cycles.
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry examine the attention Australia's social media ban is gathering around the world, the government walking back a plan for expert AI advisers and Defence's evolving tech stack.
In this episode of Commercial Disco, SAP’s Ryan van Leent explains why the future of government AI depends as much on knowing when not to apply artificial intelligence as on building new capabilities. He unpacks the risks of agentic AI, the limits of automation, and the practical steps needed to shift public-sector AI from endless pilots into trusted, production-grade systems.
In this episode of the Commercial Disco, Defence chief information officer Chris Crozier discusses the tech challenges and opportunities for the organisation - and outlines the best way for potential SME suppliers to engage with the department.
InnovationAus senior staffers Justin Hendry and James Riley cover a week's worth of tech industry news stories, including a deep dive into industry reaction to Australia's National AI Plan, as well as the sweeping board-level changes at the Tech Council of Australia.
In this episode of Commercial Disco, Australia’s chief scientist Professor Tony Haymet argues that the nation must become an “AI maker, not an AI taker,” linking the growth of hyperscale compute to sovereign capability, scientific infrastructure and community engagement. He also explores how misinformation, Indigenous knowledge systems and national research priorities will shape Australia’s scientific and technological future.
In this episode of Commercial Disco, AusBiotech chief executive Rebekah Cassidy challenges the long-held belief that Australia struggles with biotech commercialisation, pointing to a wave of untold success stories already competing globally. She also outlines the need for nationally coordinated life sciences policy, greater industry–government collaboration, and the growing opportunities at the intersection of biotech, data and AI.
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry unpack the CSIRO job cuts, an upcoming digital duty of care for platform giants, Defence’s Copilot rollout and foreign suppliers pushing back on data localisation rules.
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and reporter Joseph Brookes look into the government's statement on STEM diversity, a public service AI plan, Australian companies making it through a global quantum program, and why CSIRO is grounding missions style research.
In this episode of Commercial Disco, DIGI managing director Sunita Bose speaks with James Riley about the balance between regulating big tech and recognising the industry’s own work to build safer digital spaces. She discusses the evolution of Australia’s misinformation code, shifting global approaches to online harms, and how emerging AI challenges are reshaping the guardrails for responsible innovation.
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry unpack new data showing Australia will miss its 1.2 million tech jobs target and is going backwards on digital competitiveness, why OpenAI could end up banned for young Australians, Ghost Sharks, the PM's Prize for Science and more.
In this episode, The Commercial Disco sits down with Minh Hoang, youth innovation leader and member of the eSafety Commissioner’s Advisory Council, to discuss how AI is reshaping culture, politics and identity. Hoang warns that “when you import technology, you import its politics,” calling for an Australian AI strategy that protects national values. From Gen Z’s “clanker” slang for robots to the global race for AI dominance, he explores how young people are balancing optimism, creativity and caution in the face of rapid technological change.
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry dig into the proposed Technology Prosperity Deal with the US, planned copyright reforms to force AI giants to pay creators and all the latest on the national AI plan.
In this episode of News Wrap, InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry and editorial director James Riley explore the government's changes to procurement rules and whether they will level the playing field for local tech suppliers, the exit of the Tech Council CEO and much more.
The new US-Australia critical minerals agreement promises to unlock US $8.5 billion in investment for priority projects over the next six months. In this episode of Commercial Disco, Justin Hendry and Paul Myler -- former deputy chief of mission at Australia’s Washington embassy and founder of StratQ -- unpack what's in the deal and why it matters.
In this episode of NewsWrap, InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry explores the debate around what is a sovereign supplier and the behind the scenes work to change the definition for Defence and tech firms.
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