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Open Forum would like to hear your thoughts on the recently proposed National Innovation Policy (NIP), [1] the national agenda for a more innovative Australia. Your responses will help formulate future steps and activities the Society for Knolwedge Economics (SKE) will be undertaking in furthering Australia’s Innovation Agenda.
To see our "Innovation Attitudes in Australia" Survey Report, click here [1].
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The roots of innovation and entrepreneurship lie deeper in the social fabric than many innovation strategies and ‘systems’ seem to understand. Whilst many innovation strategies and policies focus on the development of technical and scientific skills, many leave out the ‘softer’ side, or the social fabric, of a nation’s innovation system.
Yet, a nation’s social value system - the beliefs, attitudes, spirit, values, and culture of its people - is often an important facilitating factor of innovation and creativity in society and business.
The Society for Knowledge Economics (SKE) [2] recently proposed that the Australian culture and our social value system represent important enablers in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in society.
The question that remains unanswered is whether Australia has a social value system that encourages and celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship in all aspects of societal life.
Last year, Victorian Premier John Brumby led a group of twenty-eight state and federal level representatives in calling for the institutionalisation of a National Innovation Agenda (NIA) [3], a coordinated national approach to boosting Australia's innovation system, productivity and economic growth prospects.
Mr Brumby’s proposal [4] outlined five key focus areas:
- Increasing incentives for business innovation;
- Building a new innovation infrastructure;
- Developing skills for the innovation economy;
- Creating a better regulatory environment for innovation; and
- Forging better connections and collaboration.
In response, the SKE suggested the sixth, and most crucial, area for action:
Fostering a culture and a value system that promote innovation, with a National Barometer for Measuring Innovation Attitudes in Australia as a starting point.
To help progress the discussion for the National Policy of Innovation, Open Forum is calling for your contribution.