This article reviews The Handbook of Innovation Ecosystems , detailing its "four-domain convergence framework" . It argues that successful ecosystems are not accidental but require the deliberate, long-term integration of Placemaking, Economics, Business, and Governance . It provides a practical guide for policymakers and practitioners to move beyond rhetoric and build durable, inclusive innovation capacity .

As AI reshapes labour markets, Australian policymakers find themselves reactive rather than strategic. Geographic isolation intensifies the risk. Political economy thinking offers better tools for governing technological transitions strategically, but these remain outside mainstream policy practice. Bringing them back requires political action: building institutions, allocating resources, and challenging existing distributions of influence.