{"id":3523,"date":"2026-07-06T16:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T06:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.csiro.au\/ontranslate\/?page_id=3523"},"modified":"2026-07-06T16:17:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T06:17:58","slug":"opening-remarks-by-sarah-witty-mp","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.csiro.au\/ontranslate\/opening-remarks-by-sarah-witty-mp\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening remarks by Sarah Witty MP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sarah Witty MP, Federal Member for Melbourne<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>11 June 2026<\/em> | Transcript | ON Translate 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Good&nbsp;morning&nbsp;everyone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s&nbsp;a pleasure to be here at ON Translate 2026, joining researchers, founders, investors, industry&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;and government representatives from across Australia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ON Translate&nbsp;is&nbsp;an important national gathering for Australia&#8217;s research translation community. It brings together the people and organisations who understand that great ideas alone are not enough. The&nbsp;real challenge, and the real opportunity, lies in turning those ideas into outcomes that create value for our communities, our&nbsp;economy&nbsp;and our future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I&#8217;d&nbsp;like to acknowledge CSIRO for its leadership in building a connected innovation ecosystem that helps make that possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through programs like ON, CSIRO has played a critical role in bringing together researchers, industry,&nbsp;investors&nbsp;and government, creating the partnerships and pathways needed to translate world-class Australian research into real-world impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Events like ON Translate are central to Australia&#8217;s ambition to build a Future Made in Australia, where our research excellence, talent and innovation are translated into capability, new industries, secure&nbsp;jobs&nbsp;and long-term economic growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia has every reason to be proud of its research achievements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are home to outstanding scientists,&nbsp;researchers&nbsp;and innovators whose discoveries are helping address some of the world&#8217;s most pressing challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But research excellence on its own is not enough.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The true value of innovation is realised when ideas leave the laboratory and enter the world. When discoveries become products,&nbsp;services&nbsp;and technologies. When research creates businesses, strengthens industries, improves&nbsp;lives&nbsp;and delivers benefits for communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why research translation matters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It sits at the intersection of national productivity, economic growth, sovereign&nbsp;capability&nbsp;and global competitiveness. It is also about something much broader: ensuring innovation improves quality of life for Australians and helps create opportunities for future generations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Future Made in Australia depends not just on great research, but on our ability to take that research further. Into new ventures. Into new industries. Into real-world impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That brings me to today&#8217;s theme:&nbsp;<em>Innovation in Action.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And really,&nbsp;that&#8217;s&nbsp;about what happens beyond the idea itself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s&nbsp;about the journey from possibility to impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s&nbsp;about translating great thinking into practical action.&nbsp;It&#8217;s&nbsp;about the momentum that builds when people come together with purpose. And&nbsp;it&#8217;s&nbsp;about the outcomes that follow when ideas are backed by commitment,&nbsp;collaboration&nbsp;and clear decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Above all, it&#8217;s&nbsp;about the partnerships, persistence and practical steps that turn potential into progress.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many areas, the challenge is no longer discovery alone. The challenge is what comes next.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do we execute effectively?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do we scale promising ideas?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do we ensure innovation reaches the people, industries and communities who can benefit most?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is where real progress is made. Not only in generating new knowledge, but in applying that knowledge with ambition,&nbsp;focus&nbsp;and purpose.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that requires stronger connections across the innovation ecosystem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need stronger pathways between universities,&nbsp;industry&nbsp;and investors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need continued support for commercialisation and deep-tech innovation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And we need ongoing collaboration between government, research organisations,&nbsp;businesses&nbsp;and investors to help great ideas move further and faster.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly what ON Translate&nbsp;and the ON Program&nbsp;is designed to support.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It creates space for honest conversations, practical&nbsp;learning&nbsp;and shared experiences. It helps&nbsp;identify&nbsp;opportunities for collaboration, tackle barriers to progress and strengthen the networks that are essential for innovation success.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most importantly, it helps build the connections that enable Australia&#8217;s deep-tech community to move forward together.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the highlights of the program is today&#8217;s ON Accelerate Showcase&nbsp;\u2013 which will be held later this afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The teams presenting today are a powerful example of Australian innovation in action.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They&nbsp;represent&nbsp;the next generation of researcher-founders. They are developing deep-tech innovations grounded in Australian research and applying them to challenges that matter both here and around the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What makes their achievement particularly impressive is the journey they have undertaken to get here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They have engaged with customers, challenged their assumptions, refined their value&nbsp;propositions&nbsp;and worked to build genuine pathways to impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Innovation is never a straight line, and each of these teams has&nbsp;demonstrated&nbsp;the resilience, adaptability and determination needed to move from discovery towards commercial opportunity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, they&nbsp;represent&nbsp;a growing pipeline of ventures helping to close Australia&#8217;s translation gap and strengthen our innovation future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We know Australia excels at discovery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opportunity, and the focus of initiatives like ON, is ensuring those discoveries become outcomes that&nbsp;benefit&nbsp;our economy, our&nbsp;industries&nbsp;and our communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What we will see in today&#8217;s showcase is exactly what a Future Made in Australia looks like: Australian ideas, built on Australian research, with the potential to create impact locally and scale globally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we look ahead, collaboration&nbsp;remains&nbsp;critical.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Government cannot do this alone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers cannot do this alone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Industry and investors cannot do this alone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Success comes when all parts of the ecosystem work together with a shared focus on impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why gatherings like ON Translate matter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They help ensure Australia&#8217;s innovation efforts are connected,&nbsp;coordinated&nbsp;and aligned with our national priorities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For investors and industry partners in the room, this is an opportunity to see what is coming next.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For researchers, it is a reminder of what is possible when ideas are taken beyond the laboratory.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And for all of us, it is a chance to strengthen the partnerships that will help shape Australia&#8217;s future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before I conclude, I would like to congratulate everyone involved in ON Translate 2026, particularly the Cohort 10 teams, the mentors, partners and the broader ON community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The growth of this community and the milestones it continues to achieve&nbsp;demonstrate&nbsp;the importance of investing in research translation and supporting Australia&#8217;s next generation of innovators.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia has the talent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have the ideas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And we have the ambition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through programs like ON, we are helping ensure those strengths translate into a Future Made in Australia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thank you, and&nbsp;congratulations again to everyone involved today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sarah Witty MP, Federal Member for Melbourne 11 June 2026 | Transcript | ON Translate 2026 Good&nbsp;morning&nbsp;everyone.&nbsp; It&#8217;s&nbsp;a pleasure to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":236,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nba-redirect":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3523","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>ON Translate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wp.csiro.au\/ontranslate\/opening-remarks-by-sarah-witty-mp\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opening remarks by Sarah Witty MP - ON Translate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sarah Witty MP, Federal Member for Melbourne 11 June 2026 | Transcript | ON Translate 2026 Good&nbsp;morning&nbsp;everyone.&nbsp; 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