Horizon Scanning – Opportunities for new technologies and industries

Summary

QUT was initially contracted by RIRDC (now AgriFutures Australia) through the National Rural Issues program to advance early detecting of issues and themes for rural industries and further support policy and investment decisions that impact rural industries. During this project, Detecting opportunities and threats for Australian Agricultural industries, QUT developed a novel Horizon scanning methodology that has been used to produce 4 Horizon scan reports together with illustrative scenarios. The current research project will use that methodology to examine further these issues. In this extension to the project QUT will research, evaluate and communicate additional technologies that have potential impact on Australian rural industries. The identified technologies and associated trends will be explored through literature synthesis and additional methodological elements that are part of the novel Horizon Scanning methodology developed during the initial project. For each report QUT will conduct a discovery phase supported by data, together with the development of illustrative scenarios.

Program

National Rural Issues

Research Organisation

Queensland University of Technology

Objective Summary

As an addition to the project, QUT will rapidly produce a report to identify new industries that may develop in Australia is response to these new technologies. This is proposed to provide a creative vision of what the new trends in technology might bring about, identifying the potential for disruptions and opportunities that could provide an avenue for investment. Given the restricted time frame, it will require a short term, high intensity mobilisation of resources to achieve this goal.