Academic articles

TCI Oceania Secretariat Dr Nicola Watts recently caught up with David Hicks, Founding Director of Circular Ecosystems, to discuss their pioneering work in industrial symbiosis and ecosystem intelligence, including the internationally recognised work being undertaken in Western Australia's Kwinana Industrial Precinct.

Welcome to the June edition of our Academic Articles section. This section is developed by Dr. Federica Belfanti, with the support of Dr. Massimo Riva and Prof. Fernando G. Alberti from the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness at LIUC University in Milan.

The recent release of the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Rankings has once again sparked discussion about the relative performance of national economies.

Australia improved slightly to 17th globally, while New Zealand fell to 37th. The report highlights familiar challenges around productivity, innovation adoption, investment attraction, workforce capability and economic resilience. Rankings such as these provide a useful starting point for discussion. They offer valuable insights into economic performance and can help identify areas requiring attention. However, they are only one lens through which to view competitiveness.