Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm Chosen to Oversee Australia's R&D Review

Australia has appointed Tesla chair Robyn Denholm to lead a review of the country's research and development (R&D) performance, aiming to boost economic growth. Denholm, along with three other experts from academia and business, will focus on improving the connection between research and industry to create a more strategic approach to R&D. Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, emphasized the need for this review, citing a decline in R&D performance over the past decade.

Despite being one of the wealthiest nations, Australia remains reliant on its resource industries and has struggled to diversify its economy. A Harvard University index ranks Australia 93rd out of 133 countries for economic complexity, behind nations like Uganda, Malawi, and Laos.

At the press conference, Denholm was asked about her relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, particularly regarding his past criticism of Australia's technology policies, including the social media ban for children under 16. Denholm, however, focused on the R&D review as her main priority.

Before becoming Tesla chair, Denholm had senior roles at Juniper Networks and Telstra. She was also ranked 80th among the most powerful women in the world by Forbes last year.

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.