Explore every episode of the podcast InnovationAus Podcast

It was a busy week in Canberra with House of Reps sitting, Senate estimates and hearings of the Joint Select Committee on AI all week. In this NewsWrap, Justin Hendry talks through the debate on R&D and capital gains tax changes that passed the House, and sets up a final stoush in November.

Data centres have become a singular point of focus for community concerns about the future. But they are also the subject of massive government FOMO. The past year has been a wild ride for Data Centres Australia founder and CEO Belinda Dennett, as she tells the Commercial Disco podcast.

Sara Goldsworthy is the founder/CEO of Corro, a highly secure, single-pane view communications platform for governments and large enterprises. Corro's mission is to fix fragmented messaging platforms, while maintaining bombproof security. As a former senior public servant who worked across the national security space, it is a role she was made for.

A National Semiconductor Roadmap was rolled out this week in Sydney at the industry's annual conference - Justin Hendry was there and provides some insight into this landmark document. Also, what did AI expert Toby Walsh say at the joint select committee that got members cranky?

UnderTech co-founder and chief executive Emily Pyke is a former Navy electronic warfare petty officer, a startup entrepreneur and in 2025 was named the Prime Minister’s Veteran Entrepreneur of the Year. In this episode, James Riley about what it like to be an Australian dual-use startup selling into the defence sector.

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) CEO Annabelle Herd says the creative industries are in the fight of their lives against AI companies seeking to up-end local copyright protections. It's a David versus Goliath fight, and the rest of the world is watching.

An unusual letter from the Joint Select Committee on AI to the Prime Minister with interim recommendations, complete with Track Changes indicating the depth of input from the PM's office, was all it took to put a carefully constructed campaign to 'earn' social licence onto shaky ground. 

With four straight days of hearings this week of the Joint Select Committee on AI, the difficulties facing decision makers have become more apparent. How these complexities will be resolved (especially on copyright) is not clear. InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry and James Riley step through the cavalcade of witnesses.

Former Industry minister Ed Husic says his work on AI safety in the first term of the Albanese government has been 'validated'. He says the work done two years ago on regulation should be picked up again. InnovationAus.com editor Justin Hendry tracks the guardrail timeline.

Welcome to the latest episode of Powering What’s Next, brought to you by GE Vernova, where we explore the technologies, infrastructure and partnerships shaping Australia’s energy transition and what it will take to build a more reliable, affordable and sustainable energy future.

In this episode, Corrie McLeod, publisher, InnovationAus.com is joined by Anna Collyer, chair of the Australian Energy Market Commission, and Nigel Went, Asia region leader for Power Conversion at GE Vernova.

Together, they explore the changing role of energy storage as batteries move from simply storing electricity to becoming an increasingly important part of grid stability and security. They discuss advances in grid-forming technology, the role of household and utility-scale batteries, the ongoing need for synchronous technologies, and how storage can help Australia manage growing electricity demand from data centres, AI and other large industrial loads.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, Victorian Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah argues the case for regulation of social media and the AI sector. She tells James Riley that regulation is not at odds with technology - and does not stifle innovation as some opponents claim.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco, Michael Gately, the co-founder and CEO at Canberra-based AI and machine learning startup Trellis Data discusses the company's Australian sovereign AI known as Agentaus, and what the future looks like for AI in this country.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a lot to say at the United Nations General Assembly this week about artificial intelligence. But the showstopper was his revelation that OpenAI agents had breached a Medicare statistics website - a shocking breach of trust - and the company's tardy and dismissive notification processes. Justin Hendry covered for InnovationAus.

Targets related to growing the number of tech jobs across the economy become less meaningful as the roll out of AI changes workplace roles, the Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles says. In this episode of the Commercial Disco, Mr Giles discusses the impact of AI on jobs.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, Rux Energy founder and CEO Jehan Kanga discusses the 10x improvements in hydrogen transport and storage technologies, and the future of hydrogen in the global green energy mix.

A big week for the Prime Minister's National AI Standards with the first hearings of the Joint Select Committee on AI. InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry and James Riley discuss the progress.

Deteriorating geopolitical circumstances has driven increased activity within the commercial innovation ecosystem on DefenceTech and dual-use technology - including more active participation of traditional VC firms. In this episode of Resilience Through Capability podcast, retired Rear Admiral Lee Goddard discusses the rise of the neo-primes.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says Australia has become 'The Complacent Country' with Donald Horne's 'Lucky Country' tag now well past its use by date. The episode discusses Mr Rudd's industry policy proposals outlined in a speech this week to the National Press Club.

In this episode of Delivery: A GovTech Podcast, National Gallery of Australia chief information officer discusses the role artificial intelligence within cultural institutions, and the guardrails put around its use to support human creativity.

In this episode of Resilience through Capability, TechnologyOne’s head of security and compliance, Chris Polkinghorne, talks with InnovationAus.com publisher Corrie McLeod about why digital sovereignty is about far more than where data is stored. They explore the growing complexity of cloud, AI and technology supply chains, the importance of understanding organisational dependencies, and how businesses can move beyond checkbox compliance towards genuine cyber resilience. They also discuss the role government procurement can play in strengthening Australia’s sovereign technology capability.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources hoisted a white flag this week, surrendering its target of growing the number of technology jobs in Australia to 1.3 million by 2030. There is a lot of background to this story - as InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry explains.

Welcome to the first episode of Resilience through Capability, an InnovationAus.com series exploring how Australia can build the industrial and technological capabilities needed to strengthen our economic and national resilience.

In this episode, we turn to one of the defining technologies of the next decade: artificial intelligence. ResetData co-founder and co-CEO Marcel Zalloua joins InnovationAus.com editor Justin Hendry to examine whether Australia will capture the economic value of the AI revolution, or simply provide the infrastructure that powers it. They explore the importance of sovereign AI capability, the ‘missing middle’ of Australian startups, businesses and research institutions, and what government and industry can do to build the capability needed to ensure Australia is not just hosting the AI revolution, but helping shape it.

Anyone at the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research (ADSTAR) summit in Adelaide last month will have recognised an increased sense of urgency attached to defence tech development efforts. Australia's Chief Defence Scientist Tanya Monro discusses Defence priorities, and emerging opportunities for Australian innovators.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, national intelligence community veteran Dr Miah Hammond-Errey discusses cognitive performance and resilience optimisation - and the technology platform her startup Strat Futures has built to get the best out of high-performing teams.

The Prime Minister relaxed energy rules for data centres in a compromise to get Queensland and the Northern Territory on board. But within days, miscommunication resulted in a good old-fashioned federal-versus-state stoush getting underway. Justin Hendry and James Riley discuss.

In this episode of Delivery: A GovTech Podcast, the Home Affairs department's Head of National Security Hamish Hansford discusses the importance of technology access and control in the age of AI, and how his department is building stronger relationships with US tech giants.

Australian universities play an outsized role in the local innovation system compared to international peer economies and should attract a larger portion of system funding, UNSW vice-chancellor Attila Brungs says. In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, Professor Brungs talks to InnovationAus publisher Corrie McLeod about funding, research translation and the use of AI.

In a speech that put meat on the bones of government ambitions for Australia to become AI makers rather than takers, Assistant Minister for the Digital Economy Dr Andrew Charlton last week outlined how investment in data centres can be leveraged to capture more of the value on offer in the AI stack. Justin Hendry takes us through it.

Welcome to the latest episode of Powering What’s Next, brought to you by GE Vernova, where we explore the technologies, infrastructure and partnerships shaping Australia’s energy transition and what it will take to build a more reliable, affordable and sustainable energy future.

In this episode, Corrie McLeod, publisher, InnovationAus.com is joined by Mark Benjamin, Aero global sales director at GE Vernova and Belinda Dennett, chief executive of Data Centres Australia.

Together, they explore the growing demand for electricity from data centres and AI, and what this means for Australia’s energy system. They discuss the scale of incoming demand, the importance of generation, firming and transmission, and how data centres can play a broader role in supporting grid stability and accelerating investment in new energy infrastructure.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas' plan for a Royal Commission into AI puts him at the head of a national conversation about jobs, skills and social licence in Australia's response to artificial intelligence. InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry joins James Riley for a closer look.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco, ANU interim Chancellor Larry Marshall says entrepreneurial market vision can be a powerful force in aligning the resources of a national innovation ecosystem. He discusses the challenges of the Australian innovation system with InnovationAus publisher Corrie McLeod.

The Strategic Examination of R&D (SERD) report was handed to the minister last December. There is a growing intensity to the debate about the direction the government should take on industry policy. InnovationAus.com editor Justin Hendry takes a deep dive.

Professor Roy Green is a special advisor on innovation at the University of Technology Sydney and a director at CSIRO. He is also an expert on innovation systems, and the policies that drive their success. In this episode of the Commercial Disco, Professor Green talks with optimism about building Australia's economic resilience and industrial capacity.

Welcome to the first episode of Powering What’s Next, brought to you by GE Vernova, where we'll explore the technologies, policies and partnerships shaping Australia's energy transition and what it will take to build a more reliable, affordable and sustainable energy future.

In this episode, Corrie McLeod, publisher, InnovationAus.com is joined by Aaron Scott, business development leader for electrification systems at GE Vernova and David McElrea, chief executive of the Smart Energy Council.

Together, they unpack the realities of Australia's path to net zero, exploring the infrastructure, technology and policy settings needed to deliver the energy transition. They discuss the growing role of battery storage, grid modernisation and data centres, the challenges of attracting investment and accelerating project delivery, and why Australia must take a system-wide approach to energy reform.

The trio also examine how renewable energy can strengthen Australia's industrial competitiveness, improve energy security and position the nation to become a global clean energy superpower.

The $540 million Australian Business Growth Fund was set up under the former Coalition government in Canberra in 2020. In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, James Riley talks to ABGF chief Anthony Healy about the funding gap he is trying to fill. And for local companies with a solid growth story, there is advice on how to get on the ABGF's radar.

It was a big week for Australia's national science agency CSIRO as chief executive Doug Hilton delivered his first address to the National Press Club, outlining an ongoing restructure that aims to sharpen the institution's science focus on industry. James Riley and Justin Hendry read the tealeaves.

InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry and senior reporter Joseph Brookes read the tea leaves on AI policy at the Labor national conference in Adelaide, discuss a revamp of a flagship federal startup program, and highlight a recasting of Australian Research Council grants.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, Cicada Innovations chief executive Liza Noonan says governments have a giant role to play as potential 'first customers' for innovative Australian deep tech companies.

Australia’s cyber security challenge has moved past the question of whether to adopt Zero Trust. The real test is now whether it actually works. In this episode of Commercial Disco(very), InnovationAus.com publisher Corrie McLeod sits down with Elastic’s area vice president of national security Sean MacKirdy to discuss why AI-powered threats are driving the need for real-time visibility, proactive response and mature Zero Trust architectures across government and critical infrastructure.

Australia wants electric trucks on its highway, but where do they charge? In this episode of Commercial Disco(very), eLumina chief executive Lisa Marsh explains why charging infrastructure, not vehicle technology, is the real barrier to freight electrification. 

A highly anticipated speech by the Prime Minister this week reset Australia's AI policy. But it lacked key details and any mention of how local startups and researchers will benefit. InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry was in the room and unpacks the detail, plus how the sector reacted.

National AI Centre executive director Lee Hickin spent a career in some of the largest tech companies in the world, from Microsoft to Amazon Web Services. He is now at the helm of a nationwide effort to drive the planning and adoption of AI across the economy. In this episode of the Commercial Disco, Mr Hickin says the nervousness among SMEs about AI is real, but so is the upside.

Some of the most consequential policy decisions of the Albanese government's current term are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, on data centres, AI and copyright. In this episode of NewsWrap, InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry looks at the policy development process, and unpacks some likely outcomes.

Australia's Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy delivered a new Defence industry development strategy (DIDS) to a packed house at the National Press Club this week. There were few surprises, with a focus on the minister's ongoing procurement reform. InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry unpacks the detail.

A 32-year veteran of the Australian Army, Lieutenant-General Michelle McGuinness CSC is Australia's National Cyber Security Coodinator, working as a senior uniformed officer inside the civilian Department of Home Affairs. In this episode of Delivery, she discusses how the tech industry, government and critical infrastructure providers are coming together to make the country more resilient.

In this episode of the Commercial Disco podcast, InnovationAus.com publisher Corrie McLeod talks to Bradfield Development Authority chief executive Ken Morrison and a BDA board member Dr Cathy Foley about how Bradfield City is being built to help Australia turn world-class research into globally competitive industries. They discuss the role of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF), the importance of advanced manufacturing and semiconductor packaging, and why creating the right innovation ecosystem could enable more Australian companies to scale, manufacture and grow locally.

In this episode of NewsWrap, InnovationAus editor Justin Hendry digs into the looming policy showdown on AI copyright. The issue has been the subject of blushingly large lobbying campaigns in Canberra, with the policy debate happening largely behind closed doors. The PM says major announcements are scheduled for the middle of July.

Australia's public sector has no shortage of data. The problem is turning it into actionable intelligence. Elastic's A/NZ regional vice president of public sector and education Anna Mascarello steps through the challenge with InnovationAus.com publisher Corrie McLeod on the Commercial Disco(very) podcast.

Australian Federal Police chief technology officer Krissie Auld began her career as an environmental researcher studying water birds, an unusual starting point for a leader charged with operating cutting edge infrastructure for a key national security agency. In this episode, Ms Auld talks candidly about horizon scanning strategies, and how she engages with industry to keep across the best available tech.

In a big week for tech news, James Riley and Justin Hendry talk through Pauline Hanson's populist grab for AI job displacement unhappiness, the CGT changes and the Trump administration's Anthropic export control bombshell.