James Riley and the InnovationAus team talks to corporate, academic and political leaders about what’s driving the transformation of Australia’s economy toward a 21st Century mindset. InnovationAus is an independent publication that reports on government policy as it affects technology-based innovation across the nation’s growth industries. From mining and agriculture to financial services, MedTech, cyber security and advanced manufacturing. The journalism focuses on the opportunities that align with Australia’s strategic priorities and connects government, institutional researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and the mainstream business community.
Episodes
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
In this episode of the Commercial Disco, shadow spokesman for Science, Technology and Innovation Aaron Violi renews Opposition calls for government to lift the 25-year moratorium on nuclear energy. The data centre opportunity demands it, he says.
Thursday Mar 05, 2026
Thursday Mar 05, 2026
On a day that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney came to Canberra to sell the benefits of middle power collaboration on sectors like critical minerals and AI, InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry joins James Riley to discuss the week's biggest stories.
Tuesday Mar 03, 2026
Tuesday Mar 03, 2026
In the episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, University of NSW Scientia Professor Toby Walsh talks to InnovationAus publisher Corrie McLeod about what it will take – including government investment in Australian capability – to take advantage of global AI opportunities and mitigate global AI risks.
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday Feb 27, 2026
In this episode of NewsWrap, InnovationAus.com editor Justin Hendry and James Riley discuss the changing AI policy landscape, the DTA's naughty list and a sudden IBM value crash.
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Friday Feb 20, 2026
In this episode of NewsWrap, InnovationAus.com editor Justin Hendry and James Riley discuss Andrew Charlton's attendance at the AI Impact Summit in India, the Queensland Premier David Crusafulli on PsiQuantum and NSW Minister for Planning Paul Scully on a new semiconductor packaging facility being built in western Sydney – and everything else that happened in tech this week.
Monday Feb 16, 2026
Monday Feb 16, 2026
Victor Hoskins is the CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority in Virginia, a state that boasts the highest concentrations of data centres in the world. In this episode of the Commercial Disco, he talks to James Riley about making the most of the current data centre boom, and says there are lessons that Australia can learn from the Virginia experience.
Friday Feb 13, 2026
Friday Feb 13, 2026
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry examine what's ahead in 2026, including the government's outstanding legislation agenda, the Strategic Examination of Research and Development, and the DTA's disappointing review of tech mega deals.
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
In this episode of Commercial Disco, SmartCrete CRC chief executive Clare Tubolets warns that Australia risks missing a multibillion-dollar global opportunity in low-carbon concrete unless governments maintain ambitious net-zero targets and help remove the systemic barriers to adoption. She explains why Australia’s research, supply-chain collaboration and technical capability put it in a strong position to lead -- but only if policy settings, procurement frameworks and risk-sharing mechanisms evolve to match the science.
Monday Jan 19, 2026
Monday Jan 19, 2026
Australia talks endlessly about innovation, but struggles to turn ambition into impact. In this episode of Commercial Disco, Rozetta Institute chief executive Paul Dalby explains why the real problem isn’t technology or talent, but coordination — and how fixing systemic barriers across AI, energy and critical minerals could unlock billions in national value. Dalby outlines Rozetta’s unconventional, self-funded model and argues for a sharper focus on agency, resilience and industrial strategy in a more volatile global economy.
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
In this episode of Commercial Disco, journalist and author Jacob Ward argues that AI is accelerating faster than our understanding of human behaviour, creating systems optimised to exploit our cognitive biases rather than elevate our decision-making. He warns that without new safeguards — from “cognitive liberty” protections to cultural norms that reject over-reliance on AI — we risk flattening human creativity, autonomy and agency at global scale.