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
Friday Dec 19, 2025
Friday Dec 19, 2025
In this special episode of InnovationAus' weekly NewsWrap, join publisher Corrie McLeod, editor Justin Hendry and correspondent James Riley on a trip down memory lane, reliving the big themes of the year's reporting.
Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
In this episode of Commercial Disco, National Reconstruction Fund Corporation chief executive David Gall says Australia is “nowhere near running out of opportunities”, emphasising that the real constraint is patient capital — not a shortage of investible companies. He explains how the NRF is backing firms across medtech, manufacturing and critical minerals, while crowding in private investment to bring more Australian innovation through long commercialisation cycles.
Thursday Dec 11, 2025
Thursday Dec 11, 2025
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry examine the attention Australia's social media ban is gathering around the world, the government walking back a plan for expert AI advisers and Defence's evolving tech stack.
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
In this episode of Commercial Disco, SAP’s Ryan van Leent explains why the future of government AI depends as much on knowing when not to apply artificial intelligence as on building new capabilities. He unpacks the risks of agentic AI, the limits of automation, and the practical steps needed to shift public-sector AI from endless pilots into trusted, production-grade systems.
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
In this episode of the Commercial Disco, Defence chief information officer Chris Crozier discusses the tech challenges and opportunities for the organisation - and outlines the best way for potential SME suppliers to engage with the department.
Friday Dec 05, 2025
Friday Dec 05, 2025
InnovationAus senior staffers Justin Hendry and James Riley cover a week's worth of tech industry news stories, including a deep dive into industry reaction to Australia's National AI Plan, as well as the sweeping board-level changes at the Tech Council of Australia.
Wednesday Dec 03, 2025
Wednesday Dec 03, 2025
In this episode of Commercial Disco, Australia’s chief scientist Professor Tony Haymet argues that the nation must become an “AI maker, not an AI taker,” linking the growth of hyperscale compute to sovereign capability, scientific infrastructure and community engagement. He also explores how misinformation, Indigenous knowledge systems and national research priorities will shape Australia’s scientific and technological future.
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
In this episode of Commercial Disco, AusBiotech chief executive Rebekah Cassidy challenges the long-held belief that Australia struggles with biotech commercialisation, pointing to a wave of untold success stories already competing globally. She also outlines the need for nationally coordinated life sciences policy, greater industry–government collaboration, and the growing opportunities at the intersection of biotech, data and AI.
Thursday Nov 20, 2025
Thursday Nov 20, 2025
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and editor Justin Hendry unpack the CSIRO job cuts, an upcoming digital duty of care for platform giants, Defence’s Copilot rollout and foreign suppliers pushing back on data localisation rules.
Friday Nov 14, 2025
Friday Nov 14, 2025
In this episode of News Wrap, editorial director James Riley and reporter Joseph Brookes look into the government's statement on STEM diversity, a public service AI plan, Australian companies making it through a global quantum program, and why CSIRO is grounding missions style research.