News and views

We have now come to the end of the 2023 Symposium. Today we have heard from a range of thought leaders from Defence, foreign affairs, our security agencies, the university and research sectors, and industry. The big question we sought to answer today was: “have we got the balance right between national security and research openness?”

Thank you, Professors Steven Chown and Frances Separovic for your summary of the Academy's 2023 Symposium.

No single country will be capable of solving the problems faced by our planet—from dwindling natural resources to collapsing ecosystems, rising sea levels or the eruption of new pandemics.

Australia’s national security and research community has gathered in Canberra tonight on the eve of a National Symposium to discuss how Australia can address national security concerns while enabling the benefits that open scientific collaboration offers Australia and the globe.

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the independent Inquiry into Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Academy of Science has welcomed Australia’s 2040 Southeast Asia Economic Strategy as an opportunity to deepen science and technology regional partnerships that underpin priority areas.

In 2020, Anthony Albanese told the nation science would be essential to future economic growth and could unlock our potential as a country. He was right. But we are yet to unlock that potential because we are not investing enough as a nation in research and development (R&D).

Figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that despite Australia’s reliance on science and research and development (R&D) to navigate a challenging economic landscape, overall national investment in R&D continues its 14-year decline.

Space-derived activities and services underpin much of Australia’s economic, environmental and national security yet are predominantly delivered by foreign entities.