Economic and Political Outlook 2021
Check out CEDA's new report featuring insights from economists and political commentators on the year ahead.
In 2021, CEDA’s research and policy agenda is focused on three key objectives.
- Supporting a dynamic economy and businesses through exploring the role technology and data, population and migration, and workforce and institutions can play. All are critical to Australia’s future.
- The provision of world class essential services. Meeting increasing demand and expectations is a significant challenge and the focus of CEDA’s research.
- Enabling economic opportunity by ensuring people have the capacity to look after themselves and their families, the ability to pursue their potential and participate in the economy – a key requirement for successful economic development.
We will be exploring our 2021 agenda through four areas – public interest technology, migration, business dynamism and competitiveness and better human services – while our team of economists also continue to analyse the long-term trends shaping the economic development of the country.
2021 research agenda
CEDA’s Public Interest Technology program focuses on how emerging technologies can be designed, developed and used in the public interest.
How we advance and adopt technology and the use of data will fundamentally shape Australia’s economic and social development. Data and emerging technologies, used wisely and in the public interest, have the potential to deliver significant benefits.
This program of work aligns with CEDA's PIT Member Advisory Committee, that brings together technologists, policy makers and business to further development, take-up and use of technology and data in a way that enables a dynamic economy and maximises individual and community choice, opportunity and wellbeing.
Following the inaugural CEDA PIT forum held in 2020, CEDA is looking to lead a national discussion on what public interest technology means in practice and how to embed this approach to emerging tech.
Drawing on insights from the forum, our priorities include: building awareness of the importance of digital ethics and ethics in practice, regulation and regulatory frameworks for emerging tech, demystifying tech, building tech and public interest awareness and capability.
CEDA’s PIT program is supported by our Foundation Partners: Google, IBM and KPMG and guided by the PIT Member Advisory Committee (MAC).
PIT Member Advisory Committee:
- Feyi Akindoyeni, Partner, Newgate Australia
- Melinda Cilento, Chief Executive, CEDA
- Kaaren Koomen AM, Director, Governmental and Regulatory Affairs, IBM
- Simon Goodrich, Founder and Managing Director, Portable
- Nyk Loates, Director, KPMG Futures, Innovation, Solutions and Ventures
- Alex Lynch, Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager, Google Australia
- Sam Nickless, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
- Andrew Stevens, Chairman, Innovation and Science Australia
- Prof. Mal Thatcher, Professor of Digital Practice, Queensland University of Technology
- Prof. Glenn Wightwick, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Innovation and Enterprise), University of Technology, Sydney
Foundation partners:
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CEDA’s research on migration seeks to promote greater transparency of Australia’s migration system, establish a greater understanding of the economic impacts of migration and recommend policy settings that promote a more efficient migration system that addresses demographic challenges and skills needs.
Building on our past analysis including Temporary migration in Australia (2019) and Migration – the skills mismatch, in 2021 CEDA will release a major report exploring the fiscal contribution migrants make to government budgets and implications for our migration system following the COVID-19 pandemic.
How can Australia best work to boost its competitiveness and business dynamism? In 2021, CEDA is analysing the levers that Australian business and policymakers need to pull so that Australia can lift its innovation, entrepreneurship, risk taking and competitiveness.
Through this program of work CEDA will examine the current state of dynamism and competitiveness in Australia and the findings of international research.
In 2021, CEDA’s work continues in human services to identify practical solutions to deliver better human services for Australians.
Building on our report Disrupting Disadvantage, CEDA is focusing on data sharing and how it can improve service delivery, government accountability, inform policy development and empower citizens by improving the accessibility of healthcare, aged care, disability care, housing and crisis services.
We will release an information paper on the aged care workforce; release a major research report in the second instalment of our Disrupting Disadvantage series and convene a national discussion that progresses solutions to reduce female rates of incarceration and recidivism at our justice forum.
Briefings from the CEDA research team
Economic trends and recovery
Our team of economists are ready to brief your organisation on Australia’s short-term economic outlook, long-terms trends that will drive business in the years ahead, policy implications and what it all means for your business and industry.
Our economic briefings bring you the latest analysis, findings and insights from the CEDA research team, as the country moves out of the recession and through recovery.
Delivered virtually or in person, CEDA’s program of economic briefings are exclusive to members. In addition to analysis on the broader economic outlook, CEDA also offers more tailored briefings to members at an additional charge. Tailored economic briefings focus on specific areas of policy, industries, regions and demographic cohorts and are customised to suit your specific needs.
Foundational research document: Connecting people with progress
In November 2018, CEDA released Connecting people with progress: securing future economic development which explores how we can realise better social and economic outcomes for Australians in the decades to come. This document underpins CEDA’s current research focus on securing future progress that is tangible and relatable to the Australian community.
This report detailed critical policy priorities for economic development and also detailed where progress has been delivered and has fallen short.
MEMBER ADVISORY COMMITTEES
We want to hear the perspective and insights of our members.
Get in touch with our research team about the role you can play in our research agenda as we deliver on our purpose: identifying policy issues that matter for Australia’s future and pursuing solutions that deliver better economic and social outcomes for the greater good