From July 20–24, 2025, a senior, non-partisan delegation from the U.S. Council on Competitiveness traveled to Australia to launch Phase Two of the U.S.–Australia Strategic Innovation Alliance—a bold initiative to leverage the strengths of allied nations to co-develop and deploy, at speed and scale, the innovations and technologies that will drive productivity growth, security, and shared prosperity. Over four days, the delegation met with Australian government officials, industry executives, and research leaders, forging new pathways for partnerships that will help shape the next economy.

Led by the Hon. Deborah Wince-Smith, President and CEO of the Council on Competitiveness, and Charles Kiefel AM, Chairman of the Australian Advisory Board on Competitiveness, the mission built on the strong foundation established during Phase One (2016–2020).

Phase Two reflects the deepening alignment of U.S. and Australian capabilities in critical innovation domains—from artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced nuclear to biotechnology, precision agriculture, and natural resource development. The mission underscored the importance of sustained, organizational-level collaboration between universities, laboratories, corporations, and government agencies in both nations to accelerate technology commercialization, strengthen supply chains, cultivate top global talent, and set ethical frameworks for emerging technologies.

The visit concluded with the U.S.–Australia Competitiveness Dialogue—a high-impact mini-conference held on July 24, 2025, at 12 Micron, Barangaroo in Sydney—bringing together thought leaders from both nations to identify concrete opportunities for deepening innovation-driven collaboration.

During this trip, the Delegation visited Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney.