Social Impact + Evaluation

Quantifying Regional Innovation

As one of AURIN's High Impact Projects (HIP) our team has developed a measure of innovation, regional specific growth opportunities, and industry strengths and capacities, which will be made available via the AURIN Data Provider (ADP).

The project delivered four datasets:

an Industrial Comparative Advantage dataset for SA2s in Australia, derived from the ABS Census data for industry of employment;
a Knowledge Capability dataset for SA2s in Australia, derived from the Intellectual Property Government Open Data on patent applications, trademark applications, designs, and plant breeders’ rights;
an Industrial Growth Opportunities dataset for SA2s in Australia, which links the Industrial Comparative Advantage dataset with AITI’s state-based model of economic complexity to identify product development opportunities for SA2s; and
a Regional Innovation dataset for SA2s in Australia, which quantifies each region’s level of innovation based on patent output and the knowledge of workers in the region.

Researchers: Hamish Gamble, Sarah Crossman, Andreas Cebulla.

Economic Impact Analysis Tool

With support from AURIN our researchers have updated and redeveloped an Economic Impact Analysis Tool (EIAT) that builds on a similar, but now dated, tool developed in 2015. The tool will give users means to assess the likely economic impact of spending and investment decisions.

The updates will add more recent Census data to national and regional input-output tables and incorporate new spatial geographic boundaries.

Researchers: Hamish Gamble & Andreas Cebulla.

Recent Social Impact Projects

Research into experiences of ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF)

The aim of the study is to improve our national understanding of veterans and their experiences in Australian corrective services systems. The study seeks to establish evidence regarding the reasons that veterans become incarcerated, the risk factors leading to their involvement in the criminal justice system and corrections, and their service needs while in prison and transitioning from prison.

The study will present information that can be used by commonwealth and state jurisdictions to support veterans in their successful transition from the military to civilian life.

Researchers:

Assoc Prof Ben Wadham (CI)
Prof Mark Halsey
Dr Ann-Louise Hordacre
Dr Elaine Waddell
Ms Cecilia Moretti
Prof Pauline Collins (USQ)
Ms Kellie O’Toole (University of Adelaide)

Funding Body:

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Army Research Scheme: Building National Resilience

The industrial and technological support bases of Australian industry have been tested recently as bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted integral supply chains. Building capabilities into Australian industry and assessing weaknesses in the supply chain is critical to the development of a resilient industrial support base. This study will identify the best uses of modern industry practices to support the resilience of the national technological support base.

Researchers:

Hamish Gamble
Prof John Spoehr
Dr Ann-Louise Hordacre

Funding Body:

Army Research Scheme (Australian Army)

ARC Linkage Project

Economic complexity as a driver of innovation and smart specialisation

Economic complexity measures the ability of a country to make high-value products which few other nations can make. This ARC Linkage project in collaboration with the Department for Trade and Investment aims to determine how Australia’s economic complexity can be increased, and how it can drive innovation and smart specialisation.

Researchers:

Prof John Spoehr
Dr Ann-Louise Hordacre
Lance Worrall
Hamish Gamble
Prof John Quiggin

Funding Body:

Australian Research Council

Department for Trade and Investment SA

Defining Sovereign Capabilities

Both Government and Industry have recently recognised the importance of building sovereign capabilities; however multiple definitions are used, and there is little agreement between them as to what sovereign capabilities are. This project will explore the concepts of sovereign operational and industrial capability, and provide clear definitions of Australian work, enterprise, and industry content.

Researchers: