Ms Leonie Walsh

Lead Scientist, State Government of Victoria

We all want to maintain a comfortable standard of living, have access to good healthcare and leave the country in good condition for future generations. It is well accepted that to accomplish these goals we will be dependent upon science and technology and a strong innovation system to underpin economic growth, address societal challenges and maintain global competitiveness.

We have some challenges in achieving these goals including:

• Improving collaboration between industry, academia and the rest of the world to maximize our access to ideas, new technologies and ways to deliver them;
• Developing a skilled workforce for the future, and;
• Balancing applied and discovery research, funding both and managing expectations of their impact.

As the Lead Scientist for the Victorian Government, Leonie Walsh must balance her activities between being an independent voice for the scientific community and a trusted, credible advisor to government to help support policy development. Ms Walsh will touch on some of these challenges, providing some examples of progress and some key plans for the future of science in our society.

About Leonie Walsh:

Leonie has more than 25 years of technology leadership and product development experience with multi-national companies such as Visy, Henkel and Dow Chemical.

She is the honorary President of the Australasian Industrial Research group and a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. Leonie is Victoria’s representative on the Forum of Australian Chief Scientists.