Progressive and innovative

Progressive innovation is in Canberra’s DNA. It’s why companies around the world choose Canberra as the place to trial new ideas.

A progressive, forward-thinking city

Canberra is recognised as a progressive, sustainable, and innovative city where a healthier, smarter future is possible.

Our progressive values and lifestyle make Canberra a vibrant and beautiful place to live. We’re ambitious for our economic prosperity and we’re always looking for ways to improve the lives of our people.

We embrace new business models and disruptive technologies. Our openness generates economic growth, attracts investment and creates a competitive edge.

A hub for trialling new ideas

Canberra is a testing ground for new ideas.

Our one-tier system of government attracts companies keen to trial new technologies here. We’re not afraid of collaboration between the private sector, government and research institutions.

Over the last decade, national and international companies have chosen Canberra to test and implement new ideas, including:

the CANdrive automated vehicle project
a world first city-wide trial of a residential virtual power plant
100% green hydrogen trial
a wing drone home delivery trial.

Canberra has become:

the first mainland capital city in Australia to achieve 100% renewable energy electricity supply
the first city in the world to legislate ride sharing before it arrived
one of the first cities in the world to install domestic fibre optic infrastructure (in the 1990s)
one of the largest home battery storage rollouts
host of the first public green hydrogen refuelling station for hydrogen vehicles.

These innovative projects have helped build Canberra’s global reputation as a great location for trials. We support complex interactions between companies, regulators and the community.

A designed city

Canberra was designed in 1912 through an international competition to create ‘a city not like any other city in the world … an ideal city’.

From this foundation of design and vision, Canberra has continued its creative legacy. It’s known for:

considered design
respect for our shared social, environmental and economic environment
an intelligent, engaged, tech-savvy population
socially progressive approaches to lifestyle and wellbeing.

Our guiding principles are inclusion, equity and sustainability. Canberra embraces:

experimentation and trials
exploration of new ideas and approaches
open, inquisitive minds.

A city of leaders

Canberra’s innovators explore practical ways to achieve social, environmental, technological and economic wellbeing. We founded a unique collaborative model for the Canberra Innovation Network.

Our willingness to learn, grow and collaborate drives our success.

Since our Centenary in 2013, Canberra has consistently been recognised globally as a ‘city not like any other in the world’ with accolades over the years including: