The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
OktoberTest: Science on Tap
German-Australian Science and Innovation Day
University of Canberra
Online Address
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Guten Tag, and warm greetings to everyone gathered for German-Australian Science and Innovation Day, at the University of Canberra, on the lands of the Ngunnawal people.
I’m sorry not to be with you in person today, but I’m delighted to join you by video to celebrate this terrific initiative. Events like this are a reminder of the deep bonds between Australia and the German-speaking world — Germany, Austria and Switzerland — when it comes to research, innovation and education.
As Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, I spend a good deal of my time thinking about how new ideas can drive prosperity and fairness in our society. But I also come to you today wearing another hat — as someone with long-standing research connections to German institutions. I’m a fellow of CESifo in Munich, IZA in Bonn, and the Research Foundation in Berlin. Over the years, these affiliations have provided me with countless opportunities to collaborate, exchange ideas, and learn from outstanding German scholars.
In fact, this exchange of ideas helped shape my most recent book, The Shortest History of Economics. I was delighted when it was translated into German earlier this year. German-speakers have made an outsize contribution to economics – from historical greats such as Joseph Schumpeter and Friedrich Hayek to contemporary economists such as Ulrike Malmendier and the University of Canberra’s own Uwe Dulleck. To contribute back, even in a modest way, to that rich conversation has been deeply rewarding.
Events such as the German-Australian Science and Innovation Day, now in its tenth year, highlight that innovation isn’t a solo act, but a team sport. Whether we are working on renewable energy, medical breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, or social science, progress depends on bringing together diverse perspectives. Australian and German researchers have long been natural partners in this: curious, rigorous, and committed to the idea that knowledge should serve the common good.
So my message today is simple: let’s build on this momentum. Let’s support young scholars, strengthen exchange programs, and encourage collaborative projects that tackle big global challenges. Let’s make sure the next generation of researchers sees international collaboration not as an optional extra, but as part of the very fabric of science.
Congratulations to everyone involved in organising German-Australian Science and Innovation Day, a vital part of German Week. I look forward to continuing to deepen these connections in the years ahead.
Vielen Dank, and have a wonderful event.
ENDS