Given that

a) There has been a growing shift away from science and technology at both a school and university level; and

b) Many countries are far better at attracting and keeping the top people in science and technology that drive such industries (from both a cultural level and a government regulartory framework level -- just look at the number of top Australians helping create Singapore's biotechnology industry and those that moved to the US, for better pay and conditions. In addition, given that Singapore is going to expand its univerisity system, it is only likely that this loss will continue);

I find it hard to imagine that Australia is going to become a big new high technology player any time soon and nor successfully grow any of those industries that are currently here.

Damian Jeffree:

Your article explores what I have always contended - that Australia et al have too few constructive ideas, lack managerial skills, have no work ethnic, prefer easier options, sports obsessed and traumatised, and worst are guided by a quasi superficial Political infra-stuct pent on waging War, instead of garnishing Our Nation's most promising, in a National Future's Strategy.

With Internet Technology, the writing is on the wall. Nation's that invested heavily are experiencing multiple haemorrhages. Cyclic. Tech advances quadrupling each year. More players in a shrinking market - the outlook is ominous.Malaysia, Bangalore, Korea, Taiwan, Singa and Honker's are all area's confined to the 'sweatshop/low wages' syndrome. Ireland may soon be redundant. Fact is, despite the local IT hype, third generation computers wont be the marvel, the PR men stake their reputations on ?

Our latest 'yellow-cake' bonanza will undoubtedly provide a soft landing for mining giants BHP, MIM, Rio Tinto et al.Hopefully, the 'safe-guards' will ensure the 'sleeping giant' dosen't exacerbate a Nuclear Arms revival. China vying with the US, in another round of 'cold war' scenarios. Importantly, for those who remember 'Pig Iron' Bob Menzies, the lessons of 1941-45 seem to have escaped our Politico's myopic memories !

Damian mention's the CSIRO as a model for Scientific Research. Ultimately, what did the Giant computer achieve ?? Except to add, this behemoth has squandered billion's of tax payer's funds on projects that very rarely see the light of Day. Their latest ' Fab Diet'costing million's in advertising and promotion, has been debunked by imminent Nutritionist the www, as worthless. Obesity and diabetics M is rampant, gaining strength after strength. They have spawned a Nation of dysfunctional 'FATTIES" ?

Our brilliant graduates are migrating oversea's in droves. Career opportunities are minimal. CEO's, manager's cant-see-the-forest-for-the-trees, expecting to pay peanuts for qualified professionals to perform mundane tasks. There is no incentive to tackle research. The time span for tangible results is too daunting. Quick profits, plagiarism. price-fixing, staff poaching, tax evasion, and company collusion to corner a niche market is colloquially known as 'corporate ethics'.

continued..

The AWB Fiasco is a classic exposotion of how we operate in the Coporate World, with BHP-Billiton in the vanguard ?

It becomes only too obvious that any prosperous Business, with potential will wilt under the threat of a 'take-over'.Business's over the last millennium being swamped with fancy lucrative bids - shareholder's couldn't ignore.

Arnott's, Dick Smith,Patrick's Stevedoring,Gibson Chemicals,Vegemite, Victor Lawn Mowers, the list is endless. But for the timely intervention of the Fed's, Qantas would be flying Singapore Airway's logo. Just ask the ASX. Oversea's investment own the bulk of Aust Industry.

Mining,Oil and Gas, Transport, Textiles, Pharmaceutical's,Automotive etc the Multinationals play the tune, and call the shots !

In the present climate, State's Premier's are undermining each other for pole position in attracting OI. Tax breaks,real estate, bonus payments, 'wink-wink' incentives, falling over each other for the likes of Richard Bramston, Ted Turner, Boeing Aircraft, General Dynamics, Indy etc to establish in their patch oif turf ?

Since Federation, Aussie inventions and Innovations have followed the same 'yellow-brick' road to nowheresville. Aust Defence Industry are beseiged with masses of 'hair-brained', 'crack-pot' rocket science invents that remain with their originators. In it's raw state, it's plausable ADF just dont have the imigination or wizardry to put tax payers dollars into research that may not reach a satisfactory conclusion.

The' Victor Tourer' was rejected by ADF, sold to NZ, and returned to Oz, to be used by the RAAF at Pt Cook to train pilots.Classic case of reluctance to do the ' hard yards'. The Submarine Industry is chockfull of similar incidents. The Collin's Class subs are a Swedish concept, built in SA and Williamstown, and woefully inadequate to submerge below 150 feet !! Their 'black-box' of electronic software are riddled with 'bugs' and inoperable ?

It comes as no surprise, we buy our Defence Procurements from the US.Without George Bush, Donald Rumsfold, and the Pentagon, we would be sharing a 'woomera' with the Black fella repelling those 'nasty' Refugee's who dare to invade Our space in the Arufura Sea.

Cheers

In one of my previous incarnations I was asked by the Australian government to take part in a technology "trade mission" overseas. My task was to make a presentation on what it is like for an overseas company to have an Australian arm - i.e., to attract inward investment from mid-sized tech. companies.

The problem was, when I was asked to compare the Australian work ethic with that of the country in which we were making the presentation, I was forced to the conclusion that it didn't stack up. When they asked me to condense it into a single phrase, it came out as "on the whole, I'd rather be surfing."

But that is only one aspect of the problem. We seem to be quite comfortable as a society to allow the Banks - who provide absolutely nothing by way of added value to 99% of our population - to rip more than twenty billion dollars out of our economy each year.

And these are the same institutions that "support" new businesses in Australia by insisting that they take even the family home as security over their investment. In the US, an entrepreneur is able to quarantine his family home when launching a new business, which makes the decision just a little easier to sell to the wife.

Anyone who has ever trodden the "find a VC" path in Australia will also compare it unfavourably with most other developed countries. There seems to be no such thing as "angel investing", only funds with tightly-defined criteria that require a long history, secure cashflows and a willingness to part with massive chunks of equity.

In short, compared with overseas operations Australia has a number of in-built disadvantages when it comes to being innovative. The miracle is that we actually do have some successful niches, thanks to a small number of folk who actually get down and do it, rather than just talk about it.

I believe this article demonstrates that Australia is trying to sustain a 21st Century lifestyle with 19th Century economic activities. Yet, not even booming commodity prices have been able to reverse Australia's trade imbalance. Despite Australia experiencing its best terms of trade for more than 30 years, our woeful trade deficit has blown out to record proportions. Consumer demand for manufactured imports has long surpassed our ability to dig holes in the ground.

Therefore, it's painfully obvious that we desperately need a greater emphasis on innovation if we wish to dig ourselves out of this "comparative advantage" trap. As the article noted, countries like Ireland and Finland were able to rapidly develop high-tech industries within a few decades. Australia has the ability to do the same, but unfortunately, it seems our politicians and big business are drunk with complacency.