What a massive second day at the 2025 National Tech Summit!
From responsible AI and quantum breakthroughs to women in tech, cybersecurity, and even lessons from elite sport, today’s sessions brought together diverse perspectives on how Australia can harness technology to secure our future.
Scott Farquhar kicked off Day 2 by setting the scene for the day ahead: in these interesting times, Australia’s future will be determined by whether we can capture the benefits of the technological shift.
Next we heard an inspiring keynote from Senator The Hon. Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science. He outlined a stark choice: Australia could take a fragmented and inconsistent approach to AI or develop a coherent national plan that positions us at the forefront of innovation rather than at the end of global supply chains. He highlighted AI as an incredibly valuable tool for advancing the Albanese Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda – helping to drive decarbonisation, revitalise industry, enhance export competitiveness, boost productivity, lift living standards, and ensure benefits are shared across society.
The Plenary panel sessions then dived into some of the most critical issues shaping our tech future:
Converging Frontiers explored the potential for Australia to be a major data center hub, the responsible AI practices needed to deliver progress with confidence and the role for government in ensuring the benefits are widely shared. The key to success will be embedding responsible AI practices from the start, developing AI skills through workplace training, and positioning Australia as a strategic player in the global digital economy transformation.
Australia’s Quantum Advantage explored how Australia’s world-class quantum research and startup ecosystem requires coordinated national action to avoid falling behind in the global quantum race. The discussion emphasised that while going under the radar, Australian quantum companies are already delivering real-world solutions across diverse industries, from quantum sensors for minerals exploration and GPS-denied navigation, to quantum-resilient cybersecurity systems that protect major retailers and enterprises.
Bridging the AI Confidence Gap dissected the nexus between rising AI adoption in Australia on the one hand, and continued uncertainty about fairness, transparency, and safety on the other. Yet Australia undoubtedly stands at a crossroads: we can either build local AI solutions with proper safeguards and inclusive participation, or risk becoming mere consumers of foreign technologies.
Women in Highly Technical Occupations, developed in partnership with Commonwealth Bank, unpacked the TCA’s latest research on the leaky pipeline of women in technical subjects. While women fill only 20% of jobs in highly technical fields, targeted interventions in high school and at mid-career stages could triple the number of women in tech jobs. Read more, here.
The Hon. Chris Minns MP, Premier of NSW reframed the headwinds facing NSW through the prism of his government’s current efforts. Streamlining regulatory approvals, increasing housing density and supporting the tech sector thrive through a new precinct in Sydney’s heart are all actions that will help turn today’s problems into tomorrow’s successes.
Promoting Opportunity, Protecting our Edge tackled the geopolitical environment head-on by exploring vulnerabilities in Australia’s national security and tech capabilities. The panel highlighted urgent gaps in sovereign cyber security, the consequences of a withered industrial capability and the crucial need for digital infrastructure.
Advancing AI by putting people first saw some of Australia’s leading tech companies explore how to prioritise our greatest assets: people. It became clear the key to success lies in collaborative partnerships between government, industry and education providers – from Equinix underwriting major wind farms in Victoria to TAFE NSW training the next generation of “AI tradies” who will operate these critical data centers that power Australia’s digital economy.
With the final session of the day, attendees were invited into the world of elite success through an Intimate board meeting between Ben Crowe and 2025 WSL Champion Molly Picklum that tackled the relationship between confidence and belief and how focusing on agency, acceptance and appreciation can help high-performers concentrate on what matters most.
Another huge thank you to today’s speakers and panelists for sharing their incredible insights and experience.
Full session summaries will be available after the Summit wraps up on Wednesday.
Tomorrow we’re back for Day 3: Activate Tech Central – we can’t wait to see you there!
