The Smart State Strategy is the Queensland Government’s signature policy to create a State where knowledge, creativity and innovation drive economic growth to improve prosperity and quality of life for all Queenslanders.

The Smart State Strategy 2005-2015 was published in April 2005 after wide public consultation.

The strategy outlined Queensland's short to mid-term investment program, with funding concentrated in the following areas:

• innovation
• new technologies and industries
• research and development infrastructure
• education and training reforms
• infrastructure
• commercialisation.

Having laid a solid platform, the Queensland Government now needs to secure Queensland’s future by investing in our people, ideas and partnerships to drive creativity and innovation.

The third stage of the Smart State project, the Smart State Strategy 2008-2012 (PDF, 442 kB), signals a change in direction for the Government's Smart State investment program.  This new $120 million program will capitalise on our past achievements and investments in the Smart State, and will continue to build Queensland’s capabilities.

The highlight of the 2008 strategy is a trebling of our investment in people including:

• $23.3 million to attract and retain some of the brightest minds in science and industry to solve the challenges of the future
• $25 million to attract leading clinical researchers to improve Queensland’s health services through research.

We will also establish a $60 million Innovation Projects Fund to support collaborations between researchers and industry- research partnerships.

Innovation will be the key to addressing some of the biggest challenges facing Queensland in the future, such as climate change, population growth, sustainable development, health and wellbeing. We are working to ensure that Queenslanders provide the solutions and that we all benefit from the opportunities they create.