The concept of sustainable development is increasingly at the centre of all manner of public policies. Many of the “grand challenges” address sustainability issues, and government policies for economic growth and competitiveness are increasingly framed with sustainability in mind.

One theme of this conference is that RTOs have a special contribution to make to tackling the sustainability agenda, given their general mission to contribute to a better society and competitive economy through R&D and innovation.

A second theme of the conference is that RTOs need to be equipped with the resources, techniques, skills etc. necessary for effectively tackling the sustainability agenda. This is partly about funding, of course; but only partly. It is also about having a clear sense of an RTO’s mission, developing viable (i.e. sustainable) RTO “business models”, applying effective mechanisms for anticipating future demand for knowledge (because strategic research has long lead times), ensuring that the necessary human skills and competences are available, and more besides.