4 Dec 2015
A new report released today from the Migration Council Australia titled, “Immigration and Innovation in Australia”, lays out three new ideas for innovation policy in Australia. In the lead up to the
Innovation Statement, the Migration Council calls for:
- A new sponsorship framework for start-up businesses;
- A product for accelerators and incubators to tap into global talent; and,
- The introduction of a visa lottery to kick-start the innovation ecosystem.
As the Prime Minister recently said, “our greatest asset is not the rocks under the ground but it’s the people that walk on top”. Australia is a welcoming, open country where immigration is the foundation of our society and economy. New thinking about immigration can complement other policies to help drive an innovative economy.
Henry Sherrell, acting CEO of the Migration Council Australia said, “Across the world, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom are putting up barriers to new migrants. International students are being kicked out despite wanting to stay.”
“A visa lottery aimed at these motivated young students from across the world would be Australia’s opportunity. Young migrants are willing to take risks and have an appetite for disruption, critical qualities for an innovative economy.”
“This new idea would attract people who can generate ideas within our local environment. Successful business ideas are more likely to be created and supported by those who already live in Australia as people are fully aware of regulatory frameworks, supply chains and consumer markets, amongst other factors.”
“This is why a visa aimed exclusively at offshore entrepreneurs is very difficult to get right. We’ve seen multiple entrepreneur visas fail in a number of countries, as transporting an existing idea across the globe is hard. Local context matters.”
“In addition to a visa lottery, while Australia’s immigration framework is amongst the most successful in the world, it does not cater well for those at the cutting edge. A startup sponsorship template would allow success to scale, overcoming a key barrier to growth.”
The Migration Council Australia looks forward to engaging with the Government after the Innovation Statement and commends the Opposition for their recently announced policies.
The report is available here
MEDIA CONTACT: MCA Acting CEO, Henry Sherrell 042 331 5250