Directions 2025

Key findings include:

• AI implementation is the top-ranking medium-term priority, viewed primarily as a catalyst for productivity growth rather than pure cost-reduction.
• While AI adoption accelerates, maintaining an appropriate corporate culture and securing AI-ready talent risk slipping down the priority list, signalling a potential ‘cultural crossroads’ for corporate Australia.
• Australian businesses, government and regulators are increasingly engaging in joint problem-solving.
• Nearly half of respondents are conducting scenario-planning, diversifying supply chains and stress-testing capital sources to navigate a fragmenting global order and protect Australia’s relative ‘safe-haven’ status.
• Tackling red tape, regulatory duplication and approval delays were all identified as important levers to lift Australia’s productivity growth trajectory.