I joined a panel to discuss music, technology and the arts at SxSW Sydney this week.

Australians have a talent for ingenuity and creative thinking. From ancient times, Australians have used the materials around them to develop unique and practical tools to help them live and prosper. Among the huge variety of Australian inventions are the boomerang, cochlear implants, polymer banknotes, wi-fi technology and off course, the mighty hills hoist.

The lucky country; a land of economic opportunity and bountiful natural resources. A young, multicultural and open country with an ever-growing economy has avoided recessions like no other, has been a destination for tertiary education and built some of the world’s newest technology unicorns.

As Australia has the pandemic in its rear-view mirror, it’s a good time to assess where is Australia going. National and Global challenges have anything but diminished and what got us here, won’t get us there.

Has the mineral boom ended? Will our universities lead the way and continue to attract students? Is our growing service economy going to change anything? Will the Australian market ever be big enough for companies to grow here? What opportunities will the metaverse, blockchain and NFTs provide Australian businesses? Is Australia really the best place to live?

Where is Australia’s next giant leap?