释放澳大利亚的研发潜力

This document is intended for general informational purposes only. Theanalysis in this report was commissioned by Atlassian Corporation, CochlearLimited, and the Business Council of Australia, and prepared by Mandala. Mandala is an economics research and advisory firm. Mandala specialisesin combining cutting-edge data and advanced analytical techniques togenerate new insights and fresh perspectives on the challenges facingbusinesses and governments. Views and opinions expressed in this document are prepared in goodfaith and based on Mandala’s knowledge and understanding of its area ofbusiness, markets, and technology. Opinions expressed herein are subjectto change without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced inany manner without the written permission of Mandala. © July 2025Note:All dollar figures are Australian dollars unless indicated otherwise. mandalapartners.com admin@mandalapartners.com|media@mandalapartners.com Contents Executive summary 1.1Australia’s expenditure on R&D is lower than peer nations and declining81.2Large business underinvestment limits Australia’s R&D performance91.3Australia’s level of R&D is low, even when accounting for industry composition101.4Large businesses act as pillars in the R&D ecosystem and generate spillover benefits11 2.1Australia is a high-cost country both pre- and post-policy172.2Higher company tax levels reduce the return on R&D investment192.3Australia underperforms peers on all business decision-making criteria22 3.Improving R&D settings will drive productivity growth and support $7 billion in economic activity 3. 1Australia should prioritise impactful, market-based, collaborative, system-wide interventions253.2Australia must strengthen tax incentives, boost commercialisation, and streamline administration253.3The uplift from these actions will boost productivity and standards of living27 4.Appendices 4.1Supporting charts and analysis4.2Costings methodology4.3References 292929 Executivesummary Investment into Research and Development (R&D) plays a key role in drivingproductivity, which in turn leads to better living standards and economiccompetitiveness. Concerningly, Australia’s business R&D spending has fallento half that of peer countries, driven bylow and decliningR&D expenditure from large businessesand underminingproductivity growth at a time where it is at a 60-year low.Over the past decade, large business R&D investment hasdeclined by 24%, or $2.9 billion. Despite well-establishedlinks between R&D, productivity, and economic growth,Australia has not taken the necessary decisive action toimprove R&D investment. This report identifies targetedpolicy measures that could help reverse the decline andunlock Australia’s R&D potential. Furthermore, Australia’s 30% corporate tax rate withno tax concessions for income from the domesticcommercialisation of intellectual property (IP) makesdomestic commercialisation less attractive, discouragingcompanies from developing Australian innovations locally. Six targeted reforms could unlock $7.72 billion in annualeconomic output, generating $5 of value for every $1 ofgovernment expenditureover the next 10 years. Thesereforms are expected to cost on average $1.41 billion p.a.over this period, however the net fiscal impact is expectedto be neutral when accounting for the additional tax revenuethat government would make. These reforms include: Large businesses anchor R&D ecosystems, making theirunderinvestment particularly concerning for Australia’sinnovation future. This relationship is universal: no OECDcountry achieves strong R&D performance withoutsubstantial investment from large businesses. Australiaclearly underperforms peers; large companies’ contributionto business R&D expenditure is 61% as an OECD average,compared to just 45% in Australia. The numbers illustratethis outsized influence.Just 5% of Australian businessesaccount for 48% of the country’s business R&Dexpenditurethrough the Research and Development TaxIncentive (R&DTI). 1.Simplify R&DTI ratesto a consistent offset of 18.5%above the company tax rate 2.Remove the $150 million R&DTI cap 3.Introduce an R&DTI collaboration premiumforpartnerships between businesses and higher education orgovernment research institutions 4.Introduce an R&D commercialisation incentive, providinga concessional tax rate of 10% for the Australiancommercialisation of Australian-developed IP 5.Streamline R&DTI compliance requirementsto reducethe administrative burden on businesses The impact of this investment extends far beyond thecompanies themselves. Large companies do not justconduct research; they generate knowledge spillovers thatbuild innovation capacity across the entire economy.Formeremployees from major R&D-performing businesseshave gone on to lead 1,800 other companies, collectivelygenerating $77 billion in value added and employing132,000 R&D workers in Australia. As large businessespull back from R&D investment, Australia loses thesemul