ASPI, together with Oracle, is excited to launch a new mini-series podcast that examines Australia’s strategic environment, opportunities for the future and the possible next steps for the nation.

The podcast aims to broaden the focus of discussion from the pandemic, to consider what opportunities exist for Australia in a range of thematic areas.

Over the next four weeks, the podcast will bring together voices that are looking to Australia’s future and outlining the next steps needed to create opportunity.

Episode One

Episode one examines the future of national security for Australia and the outlook for our region.

Host Michael Shoebridge, Director of ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security Program, talks to ASPI’s Executive Director, Peter Jennings and Senior ASPI analyst, Dr Huong Le Thu.

The transcript for episode one is available here. 

Episode Two

Episode two looks at the future of work in Australia. For many, the pandemic has changed our daily working lives, and has allowed businesses to realise both the benefits and drawbacks to this style of work.

Host, Michael Shoebridge, Director of ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security Program, talks to Brenda Banning, Head of Architecture & Industry Strategy at Oracle, and David Schofield, Principal Consultant for leadership, teams and organisational culture with Bendelta. They discuss how the pandemic changed the future of work for Australia, what we have learned and adapted, and where may need further development.

The transcript for episode two is available here. 

Episode Three

In episode three of Australia’s Next Steps, host Michael Shoebridge talks to Alison Pennington, Senior Economist at the Centre for Future Work associated with the Australian Institute, and Tom Murphy, Head of Agriculture and Regional Investment Strategy with the Queensland Investment Corporation about the future of nation building for Australia.

The discussion centres on the Australian economy, focusing on the strengths and resilience demonstrated throughout the pandemic that can be leveraged as Australia rebuilds post-crisis.

The transcript for episode three is available here. 

Episode Four

The fourth and final episode of ‘Australia’s Next Steps’ examines the future of the global supply chain.

Host Michael Shoebridge, Director of Defence, Strategy, and national security Program at ASPI, talks to Louise McGrath, General Manager for International Competitiveness with the Australian Industry Group, and Pieter Els, Oracle’s Director of Supply Chain Management Cloud solutions in the Japan and Asia-Pacific region.

The conversation examines the impact of the pandemic and finds that the resilience of our supply chains have proven themselves throughout the crisis, while also presenting an opportunity to learn from the lessons of the past few months and build our supply chains more flexibly. Throughout the episode what is revealed is a story of strength and adaptability, not weakness.

The transcript for episode four is available here.