Australian universities are public institutions, not businesses, yet they mix public purpose with commercial activity. This Insight examines how universities compete for students, manage related entities, invest in property and markets, and why transparent reporting must distinguish charitable and commercial operations to maintain public trust and financial clarity.

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.

Software is the invisible engine of Australia’s real economy. It silently powers everything from energy grids to medical diagnostics, mining automation to advanced manufacturing. Too often, software is left out of economic plans, policy settings, and capability strategies. It’s time to treat software as national infrastructure — a strategic enabler, not just commercial code. If we want productivity growth, energy transition, and sovereign control of critical systems, we need

Despite decades of consensus that Australia must diversify beyond resource dependence, policy action has repeatedly stalled. This new Insight from the Acton Institute unpacks this paradox as a slow-moving crisis—a systemic drift that erodes capability, legitimacy, and future prosperity. The Insight explores why structural reform so often fails, and argues that policy effectiveness in the 21st century depends not just on what governments do, but how they make sense of what mus

Crises aren’t just moments of danger—they’re windows of opportunity for transformative change. This Innovation Insight explores why mission-oriented innovation policy (MOIP) has become a global force for tackling society’s biggest challenges. The secret behind MOIP is a compelling narrative that empowers governments to move beyond simply “fixing” markets and instead actively shape them, fostering innovation that addresses real-world needs, to reframe policy, for the public

This policy insight evaluates the current state of innovation policy through a multidimensional lens that complements existing frameworks.

What does the NSW Innovation Blueprint 2035 actually commit to? This analysis examines the strengths and gaps in the state's innovation stra