Thank you for attending the inaugural Innovation for Impact Summit. Hosted by CSIRO, this event brought together leaders in government, universities and research organisations, industry, and communities, to explore how mission-oriented innovation is being deployed to address Australia’s most complex challenges.

As we confront the pressing issues facing our nation – such as the energy transition, a changing climate, tackling the next pandemic – we require a truly transformative approach. Mission-oriented innovation, inspired by the audacious ‘moonshot’ program of the 1950s and 60s, aims to galvanise collaboration at a grand scale towards shared objectives.

The race to put a man on the moon demanded coordination across multiple sectors, accelerated the deployment of solutions, and ultimately led to ground-breaking technological advancements that continue to yield benefits to this day. Taking inspiration from this bold approach, mission-led innovation calls for similar levels of ambition, experimentation, and participation to tackle the complex challenges of our time, for the benefit of our communities and regions.

This event was designed to explore examples of mission-oriented innovation in Australia and throughout the world and consider challenges and opportunities for these approaches to achieve a positive impact in areas of national priority. Speakers from diverse fields shared their experiences in delivering collaborative and mission-oriented initiatives and provided insights on emerging trends and opportunities for organisations considering mission-led innovation.