Australia's foremost innovation policy journalist currently writing for InnovationAus. With 40+ years shaping tech discourse, Kennedy specializes in:
Do: Lead with data-rich policy analysis (78% of his work uses original datasets)
Don't: Pitch consumer tech or cryptocurrency topics (0 coverage since 2020)
"Real innovation happens at the intersection of research and regulation" - 2023 ADST Interview
Stuart Kennedy's 40-year career mirrors Australia's tech transformation. Beginning at Computing Australia in 1985, his investigative pieces on telecom monopolies [5] laid groundwork for industry deregulation. The 1990s saw him transition to policy analysis at The Bulletin, where his landmark 1997 exposé "Why the Banks Are Bastards" [5] catalyzed financial sector reforms.
Kennedy's 2023 analysis dissected the A$1.5 billion National Semiconductor Plan through 32 stakeholder interviews. The piece revealed critical gaps in translating CSIRO research into fab-ready IP, prompting Industry Minister Ed Husic to fast-track commercial partnerships. Methodology blended technical analysis (comparing wafer yields across 14 nodes) with policy critique of R&D tax incentives.
This 1997 investigative series exposed systemic innovation suppression through 147 FOI requests and leaked internal memos. Kennedy demonstrated how "sandboxing" tactics blocked fintech competitors, leading to ACCC's 1998 digital payments inquiry. The work remains required reading in ASIC's competition policy training.
In this 2016 career retrospective, Kennedy outlines his philosophy of "infrastructure-first" innovation reporting. The discussion traces how his 2004 analysis of Singapore's broadband rollout directly influenced NBN Co's initial network design [6].
Kennedy prioritizes innovations addressing specific gaps in Australia's Modern Manufacturing Strategy. Successful pitches reference his 2023 semiconductor analysis [1], emphasizing export certification pathways or workforce training models. Example: A recent scoop on quantum computing licensing frameworks emerged from a startup's submission of their IP alignment toolkit.
With 78% of his 2024 articles incorporating original datasets [3], Kennedy seeks partners who can provide granular industry metrics. The ideal pitch includes visualized R&D expenditure ratios or patent filing trends across states. His award-winning renewable energy storage series [5] originated from a think tank's unpublished grid capacity model.
Zero of Kennedy's 150+ bylines since 2020 cover consumer gadgets. Focus instead on enterprise infrastructure or industrial applications. A failed 2022 pitch about foldable smartphones contrasts with his celebrated mining automation series that used Rio Tinto's autonomous haulage data.
"The IT journalist who shaped a nation's digital policy" - 2011 Kester Award Citation [5]
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Innovation, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
