17 March 2026

R&D Experts’ Call to Action: Put Our Money Where Our Mouth Is

Recognition of the crucial role of procurement policy and the call for an “if not, why not” rule in Government buying are critical recommendations from the comprehensive review of Australian R&D released today, TechnologyOne CEO and Managing Director Ed Chung said.

“The report’s finding that government procurement must be part of the toolkit to grow and secure innovative Australian businesses is a significant contribution to the discussion,” Mr Chung said.

“The report also confirms large innovative businesses are anchors of R&D and innovation systems, and that procurement is one of the most important levers governments have to drive change,” he said.

“Both of these are findings that have been overlooked for too long in the national R&D debate.”

Mr Chung said governments had been sending the right signals in recent reforms to encourage a “Buy Australian” mindset, but further action was now needed in their own departments and agencies.

The call for an “if not, why not” rule that would make agencies explain why they choose a non-Australian provider, combined with national goals and public reporting of whether those goals were being met, was the critical next move, he said.

“An ‘if not, why not’ rule does two things,” Mr Chung said.

“It forces government buyers to be aware of Australian alternatives, and, if they are not the right fit, it lets the Australian business know what it needs to do better.

“The world is facing generational technological change in the transition from IT to AI, and as the Assistant Minister for Industry Dr Andrew Charlton recently said, Australia must be a maker and not just a taker of these technologies if we are to control our destiny,” he said.

“The comprehensive and thoughtful work of the Strategic Review for R&D panel, chaired by Robyn Denholm, is an impressive and important contribution, and one that challenges governments to move quickly and decisively,” Mr Chung said.