Strategic investment in high-performance computing and data infrastructure (HPCD), including exascale capability, is vital to secure Australia’s research capability and ability to meet national and regional priorities into the future.

The Academy recommends that the NDRI Investment Plan articulates a plan to acquire and sustain next generation supercomputers, for the development of Australia as a hub for exascale capability in the Asia-Pacific region – including developing a national supercomputing strategy and committing to necessary scoping studies.

The Academy welcomes the development of the National Digital Research Infrastructure (NDRI) Investment Plan to provide further detail as to how the vision for the future of Australia’s research infrastructure will be realised.

The Academy recommends the NDRI Investment Plan includes strategic investments to deliver:

• Exascale high-performance computing and data infrastructure to accelerate Australian research, integrating artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and cloud computing.
• National data infrastructure and services that support data discovery, access, and curation and ensure rich metadata for all research sectors, with appropriate data security.
• A nationally coordinated digitalisation program for research collections to deliver broader access and preservation of nationally significant collections as a resource for conservation and science.
• Programs in schools, tertiary institutions and workplaces to upskill Australia’s workforce in current and future NDRI capabilities.

On 22 May 2025, the Academy made a submission to Jobs and Skills Australia’s Generative Artificial Intelligence Capacity Study.

The Academy recommends that:

• Australia uplifts AI capability across the scientific workforce. An investment plan to build national capability across the science system, including in fundamental AI science, is required.
• Training is needed to ensure that Australia’s scientific workforce possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to responsibly use Gen AI tools.
• The government and research sector should jointly lead the development of clear, evidence-informed guidelines that address the opportunities and manage the risks AI brings to the science sector.

The submission recommends the development of a national research, innovation, and knowledge framework to build urban capacity towards sustainable development. It draws from two recent publications, ‘Australian Urban Policy: Prospects and Pathways’ supported by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and ‘Sustainable cities and regions: 10-year strategy to enable urban systems transformation’ by Future Earth Australia.

Learn more about Future Earth Australia

The Academy recommends the following be included in the Final National Digital Research Infrastructure (NDRI) Investment Plan:

• Greater investment to secure Australia’s current high-performance computing and data (HPCD) infrastructure and to expand HPCD capabilities to meet increasing demand.
• The development of an “Integrated, National HPC Facility” should instead be referred to as a national capability. This national capability must be operated independently from an existing HPC facility, government body, or government science agency.
• Specific additional investment into a nationally coordinated digitalisation program for research collections be included under Outcome 3 of the Final NDRI Investment Plan.
• Provisions to develop and attract new talent outside of the existing NRI workforce, including school and tertiary education programs to embed critical digital and data skills.

There are scientific opportunities in the circular economy that will drive Australia’s circular economy and sustainable industry transition. Synthetic biology – the application of engineering principles to biology – can be used to redesign biological systems for environmental problem-solving.

The submission identifies the following opportunities to scale up the adoption of circular economy principles:

• Establish a national framework to standardise ‘waste’ definitions and incentivise waste as a resource.
• Deepen collaboration between government, academia and industry to define research missions and drive circular and bioeconomy growth.
• Invest in advanced recycling infrastructure and localised waste management systems to enhance waste recovery and create skilled local jobs.

In its submission, the Academy states that Australia’s space sector and national capabilities are built on our capabilities in space science. Without a commitment to space science, the sustainability of the space sector is questionable. Science is also the language of space agencies around the world. It underpins productive engagement in international space programs, which leverage expertise and expand our knowledge base.

Support for space science research and development (R&D) is an essential pillar of Australia’s space strategy and is a policy theme that is notably missing in the discussion paper. To address this the Academy recommends:

• that the ‘Australian sustainability of space activities policy’ addresses the importance of fundamental space science in the future of Australia’s space sector. This should be a key theme of the policy
• strategic investment to support underpinning space science is essential to meet the proposed policy objectives.

Regarding questions posed in the survey and consultation paper, the Academy recommends that:

• Australia joins the Group of Friends of the Dark and Quiet Sky for Science and Society
• sustainability of space weather research activities should be secured to help protect critical infrastructure and advance space weather forecasting and space situational awareness activities
• Australia seeks to leverage our geographic position to access international opportunities, including access to satellites for science and research and collaborative space missions with partner agencies.

On 25 October 2024, the Academy made a submission to the inquiry into the use and governance of artificial intelligence systems by public sector entities.

The Australian Academy of Science (the Academy) recommends the Government:  

• Develop a national plan and investment strategy to secure Australia’s sovereign AI capabilities, including the hardware and software needed to create and deploy at scale.
   
• Responsibly and ethically adopt and develop domestic AI capability to prepare Australia’s public sector agencies, including science agencies and the national science system. 
   
• Support development of national AI capability by scaling up investment in fundamental AI science and plan for and build future high-performance computing and data facilities for secure and responsible AI use.   
   
• Implement the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science to unlock the full potential of Australian data and to develop AI tools for Australian public sector interests.  

On 4 October 2024, the Academy made a submission to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources on mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings.

The Academy recommends the government: 

• Opt for a whole-of-economy approach by producing a new cross-economy AI-specific Act, as detailed in Option 3 in the Proposals Paper.  
   
• Develop a national plan and investment strategy to secure Australia’s sovereign AI capabilities, including training, workforce, and high-performance computing. 
   
• Establish a national strategy for the uptake of AI in the science sector, including scaling up investment in fundamental AI science. • Implement the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science to unlock the full potential of Australian data to power research and innovation. 

On 12 April 2024, the Academy made a submission to the inquiry into the importance of Antarctica to Australia’s national interests.

The submission recommends the Australian Government implements a comprehensive scientific agenda capable of addressing both national and global research priorities in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.