We cannot assume that our city's success will continue without preparing for 'over the horizon' challenges which are approaching with unprecedented speed.
“We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society.”
Prof Klaus Schwab | Founder and Executive Chairman
World Economic Forum | January 2016
In September 2016, the Committee for Melbourne launched its Melbourne 4.0 Taskforce to help prepare Greater Melbourne for the accelerating speed of innovation and disruption that has catapulted us to the early stages of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.
A collective of more than 60 organisations from across Melbourne’s business, academic and community sectors, the Melbourne 4.0 Taskforce harnessed the knowledge and insight from our cross-sector membership by using scenario planning - a method particularly suited to formulating robust long-term strategies in an uncertain world - to co-create a set of scenarios for the future of Melbourne against the backdrop of a rapidly changing geopolitical and technological environment.
In May 2017, the Committee announced the taskforce’s findings, which made it clear that if we keep progressing with ‘business as usual’, the future of our city may not be all that bright.
In response, the taskforce identified nine Strategic Needs that we must address if we are serious about underpinning a liveable and flourishing Melbourne in the future.
For a brief overview of the Melbourne 4.0 Taskforce, please read our Summary Report, while a complete overview of the work of the Melbourne 4.0 Taskforce - including a detailed narrative of each of the four future scenarios of Melbourne - can be found here: Melbourne 4.0 Report.
The nine Strategic Needs that the Melbourne 4.0 Taskforce identified are guiding the Committee's future agenda, with a series of tangible policy initiatives:
As a member of the Committee for Melbourne, you can contribute your and your organisation's knowledge and insight to the various taskforces that are addressing the Strategic Needs.
Up-to-date information on the taskforces can be found in the section directly above.
To register your interest to participate in our taskforces, please email our team at research@melbourne.org.au.
Thought leadership pieces
Yarra Valley Water's contribution to Melbourne 4.0
Pat McCafferty | Managing Director | Yarra Valley Water
Melbourne the hub of technology innovation
Scott Tanner | Chair | Committee for Melbourne
What’s needed to prevent a digital divide? Power and money.
Melanie Raymond | Chair | Youth Projects
Flexible executive roles the key to securing Melbourne’s future as a global city of choice
Jo Fisher | Managing Director | Jo Fisher Executive
Design Capital? Reasons why Melbourne should assume the title…
Prof Paul Gough | Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, College of Design and Social Context | RMIT University
How can innovation and technology assist in making Melbourne the arts, culture and design destination?
Tony Ellwood | Director | National Gallery of Victoria
Creating globally connected, free thinking and creative behavioural spaces
Andrew Nicol | Principal, Arts and Culture Leader Australasia | Arup
The role of technology and innovation in improving transport and traffic management
Harry Wijers | Managing Director | Transdev Melbourne
'Megaregions vision as taskforce pushes inter-city fast train link', The Australian
Recognising the profound and unpredictable changes that will shape Melbourne’s future economy, the Committee for Melbourne has set up its MELBOURNE 4.0 Taskforce to:
1. Develop a clear understanding of – and shared language around – the future economic environment of Melbourne, across the city’s key stakeholder; and
2. Provide credibly informed policy programs to help our city and our member organisations prepare for the ‘over the horizon’ challenges and opportunities.
The taskforce will employ the vast collective knowledge and insight of the Committee’s diverse membership base to utilise a comprehensive City Strategy Model.
The process of the City Strategy Model can be broken down into a number of steps that cover the following key stages:
1. Business model analysis
Creating a ‘heat map’ of Melbourne’s value proposition.
2. External influences
Identifying the external trends and realities that are outside our control, but critically impact Melbourne’s future economy.
3. Scenarios
We cannot predict the future, but we can credibly explore the range of possible futures by developing scenarios arising out of the external influences.
4. Strategic options
The scenarios enable us to develop credibly informed policy options for our city, creating the next policy programs to help Melbourne’s economy thrive well into the future.
For over 30 years, the Committee for Melbourne’s influence has been built on the breadth, depth and calibre of our membership base and it is this collective strength that has been a major driving force behind the development and progression of our city.
Over the course of the MELBOURNE 4.0 Taskforce process, we will be organising workshops and conducting interviews to capture the knowledge and expertise of our diverse membership.
As a member of the Committee, you will be a key participant of – and active contributor to – the MELBOURNE 4.0 Taskforce. Through your participation, you and your organisation will be intimately involved in each stage of the process.
This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful difference and help shape our city’s future.
To register for the MELBOURNE 4.0 Taskforce, click here.
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"Digital is the main reason just over half of the companies on the Fortune 500 have disappeared since the year 2000."
Pierre Nanterme, CEO of Accenture