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.

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.

TCI Oceania recently hosted a thought-provoking webinar with Dr John H. Howard, author of the Handbook of Innovation Ecosystems, bringing together practitioners, policymakers and precinct leaders for a rich discussion on ecosystem design and performance.

Across Australia, regional manufacturing is being reshaped by new expectations around capability, collaboration and innovation. For the Central Coast, Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC) — a TCI Network member — has become the backbone organisation helping industry, government and education partners work together as a coordinated ecosystem.

Rather than viewing manufacturing challenges as issues for individual firms, CCIC approaches them as systemic problems requiring collective solutions. Skills shortages, fragmented support services, limited access to modern equipment and the difficulty SMEs face in scaling are not isolated issues — they are indicators of a system needing stronger connective tissue. CCIC has ...

At the recent TCI Network Global Conference in Dublin, Dr Nicola Watts (TCI Oceania) and Yeinni Andrea Patiño Moya (Colombia / TCI Network Board) led an energising workshop exploring two questions that resonated deeply across the global cluster community:

1️⃣  Would the global cluster and ecosystem community benefit from recognised accreditation for individual practitioners — the people who convene, integrate and lead across innovation ecosystems? 2️⃣ What should its purpose and scope be  — and which capabilities should sit with one person, be distributed across the ecosystem, or be supported through digital tools?

Cluster managers, facilitators and ecosystem integrators ...

A recent scan of ecosystem actors across Oceania shows that the industrial hemp industry is gathering real momentum in both Australia and New Zealand, mirroring trends around the world where hemp is re-emerging as a cornerstone of sustainable and circular economies. Businesses are emerging across the value chain, backed by growing interest and support from governments, researchers, communities, and not-for-profits. Globally, these efforts are connected by an urgent search for sustainable, circular alternatives in construction, agriculture, textiles, and more.

New Zealand is developing a vibrant Cluster and Innovation Ecosystem Community under the umbrella of Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ), led by experienced strategy and innovation consultant Dale Pearce (previously Head of five clusters at Christchurch NZ). This community of practice connects people working across clusters, innovation hotspots and entrepreneurial ecosystems to share insights, surface common barriers, and test new ways of working. Drawing on Dale’s work with multiple clusters and sectors, the initiative is introducing new capabilities designed to accelerate the success of clusters and innovation ecosystems and to evolve the traditional cluster model into something more dynamic and mission-driven.

When asked about the future of Australia’s agrifood sector, Dr James Krahe, CEO of Future Food Systems CRC (FFS), points directly to the importance of innovation ecosystems. For him, the sector’s future will be shaped less by forecasts or bold predictions and more by the long-term work of cultivating collaboration and learning.