Government of Tasmania
Professor David Adams has been appointed as the Social Inclusion Commissioner for Tasmania. The appointment was announced by the Premier, David Bartlett MP, on 23 December 2008. The Premier spoke highly of Professor Adams' experience and achievements, and noted that "my Government looks forward to working with Professor Adams towards our agenda for a clever, kind and connected Tasmania - a socially inclusive Tasmania."
The Australian Innovation Research Centre has been involved with the Tasmanian Government and Skills Tasmania's Skills - Creating our future: The Tasmanian Skills Strategy 2008 - 2015. The report was launched in December 2008 by Premier David Bartlett. The report notes the involvement of the AIRC in providing an instrument - The Community Assets Survey - to research risk, protective factors and levels of Community strength in a number of local regions. The Survey allows community bodies in partnership to plan for and develop local advantage with a strategic approach. Findings of the survey will be utilised by government departments, the community sector, and businesses. The Community Assets Survey project is led by the AIRC's Professor David Adams. The report also notes the AIRC's involvement in the development of an Innovation Strategy for Tasmania. The Innovation Strategy project is led by the AIRC's Professor Jonathan West.
On 14 November 2008, Premier David Bartlett announced that Professor Jonathan West had been appointed as Chairman of the Festival of Ideas Tasmania, to be held in May 2010. The Festival, which will be run over four days, has a $3.5 million budget. Professor West will lead an Advisory Board made up of members from a wide range of sectors, including technology, science and the arts.
Professor West has been coordinating research for an innovation strategy for Tasmania. The Government has established an Economic Policy group of the Cabinet Policy Committee, to explore issues related to development strategy. The group is chaired by the Treasurer, Mr Michael Aird, and consists of the Ministers for Education, Infrastructure, Tourism and Primary Industries. The Department of Economic Development is represented by the Dep. Secretary. Professor West spoke to the first meeting of the group on innovation-oriented development strategies.
Government of New South Wales
Professor West led a major project to develop an innovation-based economic strategy for the State of New South Wales. Reporting directly to the Premier, Mr Morris Iemma, this project analysed NSW strengths and weaknesses, and proposed a number of major initiatives - on wireless broadband access, on carbon sequestration and ‘clean coal', and on financial services. These initiatives are all currently under implementation.
Professor West has been appointed to the Premier's Innovation Council.
Government of Queensland
Professor Paul Robertson has been made a member of the Innovation and Sustainability Working Group of the Queensland Government.
European Commission
Professor Smith is a member of the management group of ERAWATCH, a major policy monitoring and analysis exercise currently being run by the European Commission. This project runs a series of research programmes and a major website which monitor R&D and innovation policy development across the Member States of the EU, and a number of related economies. See: http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch.
