About IISA

Industry Innovation and Science Australia (IISA) is a statutory board established under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 (the IRD Act) (section 6). Its functions, detailed at section 7 of the IRD Act, fall under 3 main streams:

1. Oversee innovation programs delivered by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (the department). This includes providing strategic advice on their performance and operation and governance; technical, merit and eligibility assessments; evaluations and sharing relevant information with policy and delivery partners.

2. Provide independent strategic advice to government in relation to industry, innovation, science and research matters, including undertaking audits, reviewing plans and commissioning research as it relates to this purpose.

3. Promote investment in industry, innovation, science and research. The innovation programs under the IISA Board’s remit are named in the IRD Act or assigned to the IISA Board under ministerial directions. IISA has delegated many of its program responsibilities to IISA committees that are also established under the IRD Act.

Activities under the 3 streams of work during the 2024–25 financial year are covered in the following sections of this report:

program performance
advice to government.

IISA functions

IISA operates under the authority of the IRD Act. The object of the IRD Act1 is to position Australia as a leading innovation nation by:

1. facilitating the provision of independent strategic advice about investment in industry, innovation, science and research

2. supporting and encouraging collaboration in the development and delivery of programs relating to industry, innovation, science and research

3. authorising spending2 on programs relating to industry, innovation, science and research

4. promoting the development of, and improving the efficiency and international competitiveness of, Australian industry by encouraging research and development (R&D) activities, innovation and science activities and venture capital (VC) activities..

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