Australia’s innovation system contains multiple intermediary models, including consultants, brokers, mediators and resource providers. Each model contributes value, yet none resolves the persistent difficulty firms face when adopting external knowledge. This Insight argues that the absence of a dedicated technology transfer agent function is a major structural weakness. TTAs work inside firms, aggregate capability across institutions, and build adoption pathways.

Australia’s innovation economy is shaped by a structural management deficit that separates discovery from execution. This Insight explains why founders who generate breakthroughs often lack the management skills required to build a resilient business, and why capability-building programs misdiagnose the challenge. The divide is visible in startups, SMEs, and university spin-outs, where the transition from research or prototyping into scale demands architectural management ski

Modern innovation ecosystems often fail, not from a lack of talent, but from a failure of collaboration. The key institutional pillars—university, industry, and government—operate in parallel rather than converging. They are driven by fundamentally different missions: eminence, profit, and probity. Genuine collaboration requires a clear-eyed understanding and respect for these core institutional drivers. We must build the bridge from simple transactions to deep, integrated p

Policymakers, business strategists, innovation professionals, and researchers are increasingly being asked to invest in, create, or replicate innovation ecosystems. Until now, a clear framework for understanding what ecosystems are, how they function, and what enables their success has been largely missing, particularly in Australia. The Handbook of Innovation Ecosystems: Placemaking, Economics, Business, and Governance, just published by the Acton Institute for Innovation,

RMIT University’s Enabling Impact Platforms (EIPs) connect researchers, industry, and government to accelerate research translation and deliver outcomes that matter. Covering advanced manufacturing, health, sustainability, and more, the EIPs act as system integrators—breaking down silos, seeding collaborations, and aligning research with national and global priorities.

At a time when the language of innovation is everywhere yet the architecture for delivering it is so often absent, the need for honest, grounded, and practical thinking is urgent. The goal of this book is not to predict the future, but to inform and provoke those with the responsibility and agency to shape it.

Urban Innovation Districts represent a fundamental shift in how cities leverage knowledge, technology, and people to drive economic growth.