On Thursday 30 October 2025, Prof Tony Haymet delivered a speech at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Awards Gala Dinner in Adelaide.  

Good evening, it’s great to be here with you tonight.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Kaurna people, and pay respect to their Elders past and present.

I also pay my respects to any First Nations people here this evening.

And I recognise their continuing contribution to science and technology in this country over 60,000 years of knowledge-building.

Minister Tim Ayres was unfortunately unable to be here tonight. But he recognised the significance of tonight’s event, and he asked if I would speak in his place. I gladly accepted! And it is with great pleasure that I join you to help celebrate the outstanding achievements of Australian researchers working in science, technology and engineering.

It takes me back to last year’s event, before I was appointed Chief Scientist.

At that stage, I had only just learnt I had been shortlisted for the role.

At lunch, then dinner, I heard two amazing speeches from two non-scientists who had clearly come to understand science at a rather deep level.

Paul Fletcher, then Shadow Minister for Science, gave the speech at lunch.

And Ed Husic, then Science Minister, gave the dinner address.

After hearing both speak, I knew I really wanted this job.

At that moment, I knew that people in parliament understood and respected science.

And the same is true for Minister Ayres, with whom I have been lucky enough to discuss both the opportunities as well as the challenges facing our nation.

His level of engagement has shown me that we have decision-makers in public office who understand the issues, and, importantly, who trust in science. People who are passionate about using science to advance our nation and improve the lives of its citizens.  

You would have likely heard that the government’s priority in its second term is to boost productivity.

For my part, wherever I can, I have been reinforcing the role of science in achieving that objective.

History shows – and ATSE has quite rightly observed this too – that major jumps in productivity have so often been achieved through research-driven innovation and technology.

Consider the almost-boundless impact of Google Maps! Its initial technology was developed in Australia , before being acquired by Google, and it’s help lift productivity here and across the world.

Likewise, Australian research regarding solar cells has helped drive an energy revolution that’s fuelling growth and strengthening our economy.

And more recently, we see the impact of research and development in the creation of world-leading digital tools from Australian companies like Atlassian and Canva.

That is why nurturing Australian innovation and breakthroughs, and backing our science and technology sectors, is so important. Because we know that innovative ideas have the potential to improve the lives of all Australians.

Over the coming decades, science and research will be critical for decarbonising our economy, protecting our environment and increasing prosperity.

A strong and diverse STEM workforce will be crucial if we are to achieve these objectives.

To create that large workforce, we must consistently encourage young people to pursue STEM subjects.

We must bolster the numbers of domestic PhD graduates. 
And we must continue to provide greater job certainty for researchers – because job insecurity remains a major barrier for careers in science.

We must also support – and celebrate! –  the work of our professional institutions, such as ATSE.

But you already know those things and do those things. You inspire interest in STEM, and you open doors for people to explore it. You advocate for a strong and skilled workforce through your advice, your programs and your training.

Plus, you bring people together – face-to-face at functions like this – to build the professional capacity of the STEM sector as a whole. And you do it really well.

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I’ve now been in this role for 9 months, and a highlight of that time was joining Minister Ayres on a visit to Budj Bim. It’s a spot in south-western Victoria that contains some of the earliest examples of Indigenous innovation.

The aquaculture technologies we saw up close at Budj Bim are tens-of-kilometres long and more than 6,000 years old. They are an important reminder that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have practised adaptability and innovation on this continent for a very long time indeed.

I am passionate about elevating First Nations knowledge systems.

Elevating these knowledge systems is one of Australia’s five National Science and Research Priorities. And I look forward to working with the government to advance all five of them.

In just a few days, the winner will be announced for the first ever Prime Minister's Prize for Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This award is an important milestone on Australia’s long scientific journey.  And there is no doubt in my mind that ATSE’s Traditional Knowledge Innovation Award, now in its third year, helped plough the ground for this award.

As we continue that journey, strong relationships between government, industry and research organisations are essential.

I’m proud to be part of those relationships because they provide a foundation to tackle Australia’s biggest challenges – in this decade and the next.

And some of the people who will build on those foundations are with us tonight.

So, I am delighted to applaud this year’s ATSE Prize recipients and to acknowledge your contribution to Australian science. 

To all of you … well done!

You all set standards for excellence in your chosen fields. And you are all helping to inspire the generations that will follow YOU into Australian science, technology, engineering, and beyond.

Thank you everyone and … again …congratulations to the winners.

Image credit: ATSE