Build new sources of value in areas where Tasmania can compete

Innovation is how economies create new value and build new sources of competitive advantage. For Tasmania, broadening the economic base through innovation-led growth will be central to long-term resilience and prosperity.

Tasmania has built a meaningful platform for this work. The University of Tasmania, CSIRO, the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, the Australian Maritime College, and other research institutions and specialised networks give Tasmania scientific depth unusual for a jurisdiction of its size.

Helping align and connect research, industry, investors and markets is a key priority for the government. The Advanced Technology Strategy, the Tasmanian Trade Strategy, sector-focused policies and plans, and the work of the Office of the Coordinator-General and the Tasmanian Development Board each contribute to this effort.

Tasmania's established sectors of activity remain central to the economy and to its innovation effort, and continue to be supported through dedicated sector strategies, Industry Compacts, trade promotion and investment facilitation.

Tasmania's strongest innovation opportunities will emerge where its natural advantages, specialised capabilities and research strengths align, and where those concentrations can meet growing national and global demand. The Strategy proposes to prioritise government effort towards these areas, while remaining open to opportunities that emerge.

The government can accelerate innovation-led growth by bringing industry, researchers and institutions together around shared strengths and high-priority challenges. It can also strengthen commercialisation pathways and help startups and innovative firms scale, trade and attract private capital.

Emerging domains of growth

Tasmania’s next wave of innovation is being built on advanced technology, applied to real-world problems by companies with deep expertise.

The Advanced Technology Strategy is exploring cluster-based approaches to support the growth of emerging domains of capability.

Illustrative areas of strength include:

• Precision agriculture, aquaculture systems and agtech
• Autonomous marine systems and underwater robotics
• Energy-intensive digital infrastructure, including AI computing
• Traceability, provenance and biosecurity technologies
• Remote and extreme environment healthcare and assistive technologies
• Sensing, monitoring and engineering for extreme environments.