Every strong innovation ecosystem visited during the UTS research project runs dedicated translation centres. When practitioners across fourteen European and Nordic ecosystems were asked how AI actually reaches ordinary companies, they pointed to these centres rather than universities or government programs. Drawing on Fraunhofer, DFKI, Brainport, VTT and the Cambridge IfM, this working paper asks what translation centres do, why the strongest look alike, and what their absen

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.

Australia’s innovation system is world-class in research inputs,but falters when it comes to commercial outcomes. This is our long-standing "innovation paradox." What if we could finally solve it? Drawing on the case of Kaiserslautern, a small German city transformed into a global tech hub through the establishment of Fraunhofer Institutes, this Insight makes the case for introducing Fraunhofer-style applied research institutes in Australia.