Australia is committed to building a culture of innovation to make best use of national and international information networks, encourage creativity in all forms of research, promote collaboration between university researchers and industry, and disseminate research results to the wider community. Of Australia's 10 Nobel prizes since 1915, nine have been in science.

Innovation in science and technology is a powerful locomotive of economic growth.

Australia is well positioned and well resourced to make a difference in the global innovation race. Australia has a dynamic and competitive economic environment with high productivity and growth, which provides an ideal climate for the development of innovation.

Australian innovation is world-renowned, and includes medical breakthroughs such as bionic ears and revolutionary flu treatments to the world's first nanomachines, touchless smart cards and orbital machines.

Australia has a sophisticated and world-leading information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Its ICT market is the eleventh largest in the world. Production of ICT goods and services generates revenues of around $54 billion and ICT industry revenues reach more than $100 billion. ICT gross domestic product (GDP) is around 4.6 percent of Australia's total GDP. Internet use among the business world continues to grow. Approximately 60 percent of small and medium businesses placed online orders for products and services in 2006 and 47 percent received online orders.

Among all online activities, accessing government services and Internet banking services is the most popular, 59 percent of people in Australia in 2007 contacted the government via the Internet in the past 12 months, and 40 percent of adults conducted online banking transactions in September 2006. Australia is one of the countries with the highest ranking of mobile phone ownership, with the most modern network coverage available to more than 98 percent of the population.