2025 Regions Rising National Summit

UNSW SMaRT Centre Director Prof Veena today spoke at the 2025 Regions Rising National Summit, along with many other leaders from across the country.

In a session entitled "Workforce Skills & Digital Futures", Veena shared her vision for a sustainable future, highlighting the importance of developing skills for a circular economy and how using waste as a resource must be at the centre of our regional manufacturing future and innovative decarbonisation efforts, in collaboration between researchers and industry.

She highlighted that using innovations such as UNSW SMaRT Centre's recycling and MICROfactorie^TM technologies that recover valuable materials from waste and reform them into new manufacturing feedstock and products through collaborators, are central to help achieve the sustainability needed for the future.

Hosted by the Regional Australia Institute at the Australian Parliament, is the Institute’s flagship event, uniting regional leaders, policymakers, industry, and community champions to shape the next chapter for regional Australia.

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Event hosts say:

Regional Australia stands at a turning point. The pressures we face are real: climate change, workforce shortages, housing stress and the need for critical infrastructure. But these pressures are also catalysts for creativity. They demand action – not waiting passively for the future to be upon us, but actively reimagine what our communities can become. Regional communities are already innovating and creating new industries by trialling fresh business models of health, housing and education. 

New partnerships are being forged between governments, industry and local leaders to solve complex challenges. Regional Australia is not waiting to be told what its future will be – it is designing it. Now is also the moment to reimagine how our nation sees its regions. No longer an afterthought, our regional cities, towns and communities are central to the country’s prosperity. They are where the food is grown, the resources are produced, the energy is generated, and the future workforce is being nurtured. 

A thriving regional Australia means a stronger, balanced nation. At the RAI, our research continues to show what’s possible when we dare to think differently. Our Towards Net Zero: Building a Legacy report demonstrates how the energy transformation can leave enduring benefits in regional communities - if we get the policy settings right. Our Regionalisation Ambition highlights how targeted investment and planning can end the trade-offs regional Australians too often face. These are not just reports – they are blueprints for reimagining. This Summit is our opportunity to explore these ideas together. 

Over the coming days, you will hear from leaders across politics, business, community and industry who are challenging us to think beyond the status quo. You will meet people who are pioneering new approaches, and you will be part of conversations that spark fresh thinking about how we shape the next chapter for regional Australia.