This speech was presented by ATSE President Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM FTSE FAA at the 2026 ATSE Awards Gala Dinner on 28 October 2026.

Thank you, Mark, for that introduction.

Binowee, thank you for your generous Welcome to Country.

I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the Country we are meeting on today. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and acknowledge their enduring connection to the lands, waters, and sky. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people present from whichever nation you may come.

Thank you to our partners and sponsors for supporting this evening and this week’s events.

They include:

Engineers Australia, supporters of the Batterham Medal
the University of Queensland and the ARC Training Centre for Information Resilience, sponsors for our inaugural Resilient Data Engineering Award; and
Our event sponsors — UNSW Sydney, the University of Sydney, the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University, the University of Technology Sydney, Orica and the Nobel ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre.

Thank you for your support.

Welcome, everyone. We have many special guests joining us tonight.

Jacqui Munro, member of the NSW Legislative Council: thank you for joining us.

It's also great to see Vice-Chancellors, Presidents, CEOs and other representatives from the Learned Academies, ACOLA, STA, the Group of Eight, Regional Universities Network, SAGE, Aureon, Moderna, Engineers Australia, SAGE, CSIRO and our universities.

A special welcome, too, to our 2026 new ATSE Fellows. Today’s New Fellows Showcase and panel discussions were fascinating, and it’s wonderful to have you with us tonight.

It's great to see so many other ATSE Fellows here tonight as well.

I’m particularly delighted that 50 participants from ATSE’s STEM education programs are joining us this evening. This group includes:

scholarship holders through our Elevate and Propel programs;
mentors and mentees through the Industry Mentoring Network in STEM; and
representatives from our Emerging Leaders Network.

I hope you enjoy being part of this celebration.

They have been able to attend today's Showcase and this gala dinner thanks to support from: The Forrest Foundation, QUT, Aurecon, DSTG, The Kim Jackson Scholarship, Evans and Partners, Snow Hydro, The ATSE Fellows Memorial Fund and individual support from ATSE Fellows.
Australia’s future depends not only on the technologies we develop, but on the people who will develop them.

That’s why we need to give more young Australians the opportunity to discover STEM, build their skills and see a future for themselves in these fields.

We also need to make sure talented people, including those who remain under-represented in STEM, can build rewarding careers and contribute their full potential.

That is why ATSE’s work to connect education, research and industry matters so much.

Before we celebrate tonight’s award recipients, I want to acknowledge a moment that has shaken our nation.

The attack on independent Federal MP Helen Haines has been deeply distressing. Our thoughts are with Helen, her family and her community as she faces a long road to recovery.

It is also a moment for us to reflect on the kind of Australia we want to be.

We are a country that, for the most part, values fairness, respectful debate and the idea that we can disagree without losing sight of our common humanity.

We must continue to protect those values. And when public debate becomes polarised, I believe the STEM community has an important role to play.

Science, technology and engineering are built on curiosity, evidence, rigorous questioning and a willingness to challenge the idea, not the individual.

They remind us that complex problems are best solved when we bring different perspectives together, listen to one another and work towards a shared goal.

That is central to ATSE’s mission: bringing Australia’s leading technological and engineering expertise to the challenges and opportunities facing our nation.

My years as Australia’s Chief Scientist reinforced my belief that frank, evidence-based advice, offered constructively and consistently, is one of the most valuable things a nation can have.

That is what ATSE strives to provide.

Whether we’re addressing climate change, strengthening our energy and water security, building sovereign technological capability or navigating the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, we need sound evidence, open minds and a commitment to the public good.

But developing new knowledge and technologies is only part of the challenge. We must also make sure Australia has the capability to turn them into industries, businesses and jobs here.

As we transition away from fossil fuels, we need to develop new industries and build sovereign capabilities in areas such as quantum technology, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

Australia has extraordinary research talent and engineering expertise. The opportunity is to connect that expertise with the investment, skills and ambition needed to turn it into lasting economic and social benefits.

Our role is not simply to develop the technologies that will shape Australia’s future. It is also to help ensure those technologies serve Australians, and that the decisions we make are informed by the best available evidence and expertise.

Tonight’s award recipients embody that contribution. They show us what’s possible when knowledge, ingenuity and collaboration are put to work for the benefit of society.

I’d also like to take a moment to remember someone who embodied the spirit of scientific achievement and contribution: ATSE Fellow Professor Emma Johnston, whom we lost suddenly far too soon late last year.

Emma is a reminder of the remarkable people who contribute to Australia’s scientific and technological community, and of the importance of recognising their work and the difference they make.

We remember her tonight, along with the other ATSE Fellows we lost in the past year, as we celebrate the achievements of those who are helping advance knowledge, innovation and opportunity in Australia.

Part of ATSE’s mission is to recognise people making outstanding contributions in technological sciences and engineering. People whose work demonstrates how innovation can improve lives and help solve the challenges facing Australia.

Tonight, we celebrate people who show us what Australian ingenuity can achieve. Their work reminds us that we have extraordinary talent in this country and that our future will be brighter if we continue to invest in knowledge, creativity and collaboration.

I’m delighted that we’ll be recognising these achievements tonight through the presentation of seven ATSE Awards, including the President’s Medal. The recipient of that medal is here in the room and, as yet, has no idea!

Thank you all for being here, for supporting ATSE and for being part of a community committed to making a difference. I hope you have a wonderful evening.