We live in a time of rapid change. Change that is driven by developments in science and technology, and challenged by our capacity to adapt in the present and prepare for the future. Commissioned by the Chief Scientist, on behalf of the National Science and Technology Council, horizon scanning reports present independent and timely analyses to guide decision-makers through the decade ahead.

Horizon Scanning reports by the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) draw on the deep disciplinary expertise from within Australia’s Learned Academies to analyse the future, navigate change and highlight opportunities for the nation. As interdisciplinary studies, ACOLA’s reports include economic, social, cultural and environmental perspectives to provide well-considered findings that inform complete policy responses to significant scientific and technological change.

Horizon Scanning projects involve Fellows of Australia’s four Learned Academies – the Australian Academy of the Humanities, Australian Academy of Science, Academy of the Social Science in Australia, and Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering – as well as the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science and the New Zealand Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Reports in the Horizon Scanning Series:

• The Role of Energy Storage in Australia’s Future Energy Supply Mix (published, November 2017)
• The Future of Precision Medicine in Australia (published, January 2018)
• Synthetic Biology in Australia: An outlook to 2030 (published, September 2018)
• Deployment of Artificial Intelligence and what it presents for Australia (published, July 2019)
• Future of agricultural technologies (published, September 2020)
• The Internet of Things: Maximising the benefit of deployment in Australia (published, November 2020)