Thinking in Public: Australia’s Missing Innovation Policy—Will It Ever Be Found? A new book from the Acton Institute for Innovation
- Dr John H Howard
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 30
John H Howard, 30 June 2025
Thinking in. Public brings together over sixty Innovation Insights published by the Acton Institute for Policy Research and Innovation over the past year.
The Insights emerged in response to unfolding policy events, shifting economic conditions, and the recurrent failure of Australian governments to develop a coherent, integrated strategy for science, research, and innovation (SRI).
The book, with over 330 pages, contains forewords by Professor Glyn Davis, David Thodey, Dr Cathy Foley and Professor Roy Green.
The book explores the central question across nine parts, covering systemic failures, national missions and strategic industries, people and skills, ecosystems and placemaking, comparative systems and international learning, measurement and metrics, system design, institutions, governance and capability, and concludes with a new essay on the time for policy courage.
At a time when the language of innovation is everywhere but the architecture for delivering it is flawed, the need for honest, grounded, and practical thinking is urgent. The goal of the book is to inform and provoke those with the responsibility and agency to shape it.
Thinking in public is a commitment to intellectual transparency. It is a way of engaging with complexity in real-time—testing arguments, revealing assumptions, and embracing ambiguity rather than closing it down too quickly.
This book reflects that spirit. It is an invitation to think publicly—and often provisionally—about Australia’s science, research, and innovation policy. Not to declare final answers, but to explore better questions, and to contribute to a shared narrative of national purpose.
Thinking in Public Australia’s missing innovation policy: Will it ever be found? is available at Amazon, Amazon Prime, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited.
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