ATSE welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Productivity Commissions consultation on Australia’s productivity performance. ATSE recommends a three-pronged approach to boosting productivity through targeting STEM education, research and development, and digital infrastructure. As part of this submission ATSE is making the following key recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Invest in educational programs to enable the current and future workforce to develop STEM skills.
Recommendation 2: Increase public investment in research and development, including research translation, to drive fundamental advances in knowledge.
Recommendation 3: Develop policies facilitating investment in knowledge-based capital (KBC) such as data infrastructure and Information Communication Technologies (ICT).