Date:
1 February 2022
Author:
Phillipa Martin

Australia’s Blueprint for Critical Technologies

In November last year, the Prime Minister announced Australia’s Blueprint for Critical TechnologiesExternal Link . This strategy document is a framework for how Australia will use critical technologies to “drive a technologically-advanced, future-ready nation.”

The Blueprint is separated into four key sections:

  1. Vision
  2. Goals
  3. Action pillars
  4. Next steps

Australia’s Blueprint for Critical Technologies

Australia’s Blueprint for Critical Technologies
https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/blueprint-critical-technologies
Australia’s Blueprint for Critical Technologies
Download Australia’s Blueprint for Critical Technologies

Critical technologies — the goals

The blueprint has four key goals:

  1. “Ensure we have access to, and choice in, critical technologies and systems that are secure, reliable, and cost-effective

  2. Promote Australia as a trusted and secure partner for investment, research, innovation, collaboration, and adoption of critical technologies

  3. Maintain the integrity of our research, science, ideas, information and capabilities — enable Australian industries to thrive and maximise our sovereign IP

  4. Support regional resilience and shape an international environment that enables open, diverse and competitive markets and secure and trusted technological innovation”

Critical technologies — the action pillars

To achieve the four goals, the Government has identified seven action pillars. These pillars are summarised as:

  1. Investing in Australians’ knowledge and skills to maximise critical technologies

  2. Investing in research and commercialisation

  3. Investing in supply chains for critical technologies

  4. Protecting our critical systems and infrastructure

  5. Driving policy, standards and regulations around critical technologies

  6. Putting Australia’s interests at the forefront

  7. Focusing on risks and opportunities in critical technologies to protect IP and assets

Within each of these pillars the Blueprint for Critical TechnologiesExternal Link highlights corresponding actions — current and future.

Critical technologies — the responses/actions

The last part of the Blueprint for Critical TechnologiesExternal Link looks at different types of responses or actions the government will take to maximise on opportunities and minimise risks. The blueprint identifies four types of responses:

  1. Category A — low-cost actions that support critical technologies

  2. Category B — low-cost responses to support market resilience (e.g. responding to disruptions within, or caused by, critical technologies)

  3. Category C — Early and targeted action (moderate costs) to support critical technologies

  4. Category D — Regulation of economic and social activity within critical technologies (generally higher costs)

Salsa Digital’s take

Australia’s Blueprint for Critical TechnologiesExternal Link provides a high-level framework for managing and responding to critical technologies. It also highlights how existing policies and government funding support the blueprint. Maximising opportunities and minimising risks will also help Australia to achieve our tech goals such as those outlined in the Digital Government Strategy (read more about the Digital Government StrategyExternal Link ) and Australia’s Digital Economy Strategy (read more about Digital Economy StrategyExternal Link ).

Attribution

Quotes and images attributed to:

© Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Blueprint for critical technologies: The Australian Government’s framework for capitalising on critical technologies to drive a technologically-advanced, future-ready nation