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Integrating Innovation, Sustainability and Regional Development Goals: Delivering on National Policy Through ‘Regional Collaboratives’

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Abstract

This chapter explores the potential for policy overlap across the themes of innovation, sustainability and regional development. It notes that Australia currently has no integrated policy platform that addresses the significant and valuable intersection between these areas. To tackle this, the authors propose a model for better policy integration focussed on regional areas, based on new system of collaboration and leadership amongst the key regional stakeholders in innovative and sustainable regional development (ISRD). This mechanism—the basis of an integrated policy platform—uses ‘regional collaboratives’ as an innovative amalgam of existing models, delivered in regions and by regions. Thus, whilst ‘collaboration and connectedness’ have become the accepted pathway for accelerating innovation outcomes, this chapter argues that what is needed instead is a model that overcomes the disconnects that can limit innovation in regional Australia. In doing so, ‘regional collaboratives’ should identify and deepen the mutual-value relationships that already exist between regional innovation actors. The development and strategic deployment of ‘regional collaboratives’ would therefore allow Australia’s regional advantages (comparative, competitive and constructed) to be better realised via innovation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This figure was obtained from a 2011 address by the DIISR Minister, Kim Carr.

  2. 2.

    The Powering Ideas: An innovation agenda for the twenty-first century national strategy for innovation.

  3. 3.

    Variously defined by employee number of annual turnover; e.g. Enterprise Connect uses the loose definitions of $2 m–$200 m/year in manufacturing or >$1 m/year for creative industries.

  4. 4.

    The ‘Focusing Australia’s Publicly Funded Research’ review is currently underway by a taskforce established by the DIISR research division.

  5. 5.

    Australian Government’s Research Workforce Strategy (2011): Research Skills for an Innovative Future A research workforce strategy to cover the decade to 2020 and beyond.

  6. 6.

    Please refer to the associated document—Susan Kinnear and Ian Ogden (2011a), Partnering with SMEs for innovation: a CQUniversity discussion paper.

  7. 7.

    As defined in the National Environmental Protection Council (NEPC) Act and may include goals, standards, protocols, and guidelines.

  8. 8.

    A statutory authority with the vision to ‘increase knowledge that fosters sustainable, productive and profitable new and existing rural industries’, see http://www.rirdc.gov.au/

  9. 9.

    The goal agreed to in the Copenhagen Accord; http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/reduce/national-targets.aspx

  10. 10.

    Adapting to Climate Change in Australia position paper; http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/adapt/adapting-to-climate-change-paper.aspx

  11. 11.

    Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government (2011), submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications’ Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network, February 2011, 15 pages, available online at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ic/NBN/subs/Sub169.pdf

  12. 12.

    For example, agriculture, fisheries and forestry; broadband, communications and the digital economy; education, employment and workplace relations; families, housing, community services and indigenous affairs; resources, energy and tourism, and sustainability, environment, water, population and communities.

  13. 13.

    The Australian Labor Party and the Independent Member’s agreement, http://www.minister.regional.gov.au/files/Regional_Agreement.pdf

  14. 14.

    Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government (2011), submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications’ Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network, February 2011, 15 pages, available online at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ic/NBN/subs/Sub169.pdf

  15. 15.

    e.g. per km/per capita.

  16. 16.

    Australia and Food Security in a Changing World: Preparing for the Future with Foresight, Report to the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (2010).

  17. 17.

    The Australian Labour Party and the Independent Member’s agreement, http://www.minister.regional.gov.au/files/Regional_Agreement.pdf

  18. 18.

    Australian Innovation System Report 2010, DIISR—The total of $1.05 billion includes all programs related to low-carbon and renewable-energy innovation listed in Table 3 of the Australian Government’s 2009–10 Science and Innovation Budget tables.

  19. 19.

    DIISR Cooperative Research Centres website (https://www.crc.gov.au/Information/default.aspx).

  20. 20.

    Collaborating to a Purpose review of the Cooperative Research Centres Program, July 2008 (https://www.crc.gov.au/HTMLDocuments/Documents/PDF/CRCReviewReport.pdf). See also DIISR (2011).

  21. 21.

    Universities Australia, 2011–2012 Federal Budget Analysis, May 2011.

  22. 22.

    Like the current RIB ‘Researcher in Business’ Program offered through Enterprise Connect; and the forthcoming ‘Students in Business’.

  23. 23.

    As noted in ‘Investing in Regional Australia’ 2011 budget commitment.

  24. 24.

    For example, the draft Geelong Innovation Plan (by Innovative Regions Facilitator Mark Kelley) has suggested the development of a Regional Research Information Centre.

  25. 25.

    Australian Bureau of Statistics, Category 8158.0—Innovation in Australian Business (Innovating businesses, Sources of ideas and information).

  26. 26.

    For example, Tomorrows Regions: The Queensland Government’s Partnership with Regional Communities and the New South Wales Regional Innovation Strategy.

  27. 27.

    Ministerial Statement 2011–12: Investing in Regional Australia, Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, http://cache.treasury.gov.au/budget/2011-12/content/download/ms_rural_and_regional.pdf

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainable Regional Development Programme, Centre for Environmental Management, CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Australia

    Dr. Susan Kinnear

  2. Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Central Queensland Innovative Regions Facilitator, Rockhampton, Australia

    Ian Ogden (Adjunct Professional Fellow)

  3. Centre for Environmental Management, CQUniversity, Brisbane, Australia

    Ian Ogden (Adjunct Professional Fellow)

Authors
  1. Dr. Susan Kinnear
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  2. Ian Ogden
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Correspondence to Susan Kinnear .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Centre for Environmental Management, CQUniversity, Bruce Highway, Building 7, North Rockhampton, 4702, Queensland, Australia

    Susan Kinnear

  2. Management Solutions Queensland, Ground Floor, George Street 40, Brisbane, 4001, Queensland, Australia

    Kate Charters

  3. , Southern Cross Business School, Southern Cross University, Lismore, 2480, New South Wales, Australia

    Peter Vitartas

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Kinnear, S., Ogden, I. (2013). Integrating Innovation, Sustainability and Regional Development Goals: Delivering on National Policy Through ‘Regional Collaboratives’. In: Kinnear, S., Charters, K., Vitartas, P. (eds) Regional Advantage and Innovation. Physica, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7908-2799-6_5

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