This document outlines a vision for Australian science and technology published in the year 2000.
Then President, Dr Sue Serjeantson said:
Not so long ago, the idea that scientific knowledge drives the global economy was dismissed in political circles as left-leaning ideology or as special pleading for funds by naive scientists. But recently, the idea that social and economic well-being is critically dependent on knowledge and its application has gained credence world-wide. For Australia to participate fully in the knowledge-based economy, our science policy needs urgent attention.
Developed countries with comparatively scarce natural resources, such as Sweden and Switzerland, have long relied on innovation for competitive advantage and will make the transition to the 21st century with ease.
For Australia, with an historic dependence on natural resources and, until recently, a poor record in commercialising research, the transition may be more difficult. FASTS represents some 50,000 working scientists and this document presents their ideas on policies that would boost the Research and Development capacity of the nation and catapult us into the next century. The document calls for a national vision of science and technology.
Read the document in full
Note: This was published when Science & Technology Australia was known as the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS).
