The heroes of innovation? : scientists and technologists in Australian business

Innovation in the manufacturing sector in Australia, as elsewhere, owes much to the work of scientific and technological personnel. While it is now well understood that the linear model of innovation is a very partial view at best, it is nonetheless often scientific and technological personnel who provide critical innovation-related information and new ideas to their employer firms. This paper presents some results from a study we carried out in 2003-04 into the backgrounds, qualifications and careers of more than 500 publishing Australian scientists. It examines whether these scientists and technologists are being used to their maximum potential and, if not, what needs to be done to ensure this