Our social R&D white paper explores why we need an R&D system for social challenges

Alongside some brilliant thinkers in Australia and abroad, we’ve written a white paper that explores what it would take to adopt the best of R&D systems from diverse industries and create a social R&D system – one that places people at the heart.

Read our social R&D white paper

 

We believe that by developing R&D systems focused on tackling our biggest social issues, we can bridge the gap between institutions and people, and create systems and supports that are fit for now and the future. 

Why social R&D?

Too often, we seem stuck in endless loops of fail → review → reform → repeat.

Problems don’t get solved, progress towards “better” remains intermittent (and is often stalled) and, not surprisingly, social inequalities persist and worsen. Yet, at the fringes, innovators are finding new ways to tackle long standing social challenges, and they’re succeeding despite the system around them. Imagine if we built a system that supported them.

Imagine if Australia had a more predictable, reliable and systematic way to identify, develop, implement and scale responses to our most pressing and complex social issues.

Research and development (R&D) systems, and the cluster of different organisations, services and capabilities that make them up (sometimes referred to as R&D ecosystems), have proven their value in driving innovation and improvement in high-performing industries.

Imagine if we took the best of contemporary R&D practices that are so common in other industries and sectors, and adapted and supplemented them to enhance our social impact systems.

Explore our Social R&D Ecosystem Pattern Pack

Download the pack

Want to learn more?

Read our Social R&D white paper and explore our Social R&D Ecosystem Pattern Pack.

If you’d like to contribute, join the conversation or have questions, we’d love to hear from you.

Reach out to Carolyn Curtis, TACSI CEO, (carolyn.curtis@tacsi.org.au) or Chris Vanstone, TACSI Chief Innovation Officer (chris.vanstone@tacsi.org.au) to learn more.

Meet the Social R&D team

We're social
Get in touch

ADELAIDE
Level 1, 279 Flinders St
Adelaide SA 5000

SYDNEY
1/145 Redfern Street

Redfern NSW 2016

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