Wayne Fitsimmons OAM, Pearcey Foundation chair, said the report was based on industry experience from some of Australia’s most successful ICT entrepreneurs and leaders.

“The Australian ICT sector is acknowledged as pioneering, innovative and entrepreneurial, starting with the successful 1949 launch of CSIRAC – and the report articulates why Australia continues to be a major international player in the world of ICT. We are very good at it, so “let’s recognize that, support the industry, and encourage governments of all persuasions to expand their collaboration with academia and with our domestic ICT industry leaders,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

The report also highlighted the university connection as a key weakness in Australia’s ICT innovation ecosystem.

“There are relatively few successful cases of industry collaborating with universities in Australia, and a limited presence of academics in organizational boardrooms compared to overseas,” Dr Boell said.

“One reason for this is the very different project timelines: companies generally want results within weeks or months, while academic research usually takes years. But there are many opportunities for these worlds to come together for mutual benefit.

“For example, industry can give students opportunities to tackle real problems over the course of a semester, which suits its timeline and also helps develop a solution-oriented mindset in graduates.”