85701 Research Based Design WEEK 9 THE AUSTRALIAN TIMEBOMB

This week’s lecture, given by Tom Barker, was fascinating – even if a little expansive and digressive. Tom spoke about understanding Australia in terms of Australia as a ticking time-bomb just waiting to explode: our natural resources are rapidly being depleted, we are over-exporting and under-developing sustainable industry, we are not placing enough emphasis on intellectual capital and our current economic success is unlikely to continue after the inevitable decline of resource exports.

Although I disagree with some of Tom’s points about Australia’s future, I agree that one of the most significant problems we face is the decline of resource industries such as mining, upon which our economy is based and flourishes. Now is the time to direct our energies in new and different directions in order to set up a basis for a successful Australia in the future.

I was very interested in some of the statistics Tom presented; only 3% of Australian GDP is in creative industries, compared to a European average of 7%  and a huge 17% growth rate in creative industries in China according to the UN Creative Economies report. To pave the way to a flourishing country in the future, I think it is important that we concentrate our efforts in creative fields – emphasizing problem solving, designing solutions and sustainable answers.

Graph of the role of creative industries in the economy (United Nations, 2008)

Looking at a national scale and considering the future, Richard Florida’s Creative Cities theories comes to mind. Although his theory may be problematic, Florida is heading in the right direction by linking creativity and design industries to a progressive economic future.




REFERENCES

United Nation, 2008, UN Creative Economy Report, United Nations, viewed on 10/10/2010, http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditc20082cer_en.pdf