Power in partnership: reflections from CSIRO’s Co-production Symposium

More than 80 CSIRO researchers, collaborators and partners recently gathered at Customs House in Brisbane for a one-day Co-production Symposium focused on advancing the science and practice of co-production for sustainability transitions.

Co-hosted by the Valuing Sustainability and Responsible Innovation Future Science Platforms, the event brought together participants from across the organisation – and beyond – to explore how collaborative research can better address complex societal and environmental challenges.

With registrations reaching capacity within a day of opening, the strong demand for the symposium reflected growing interest in co-production approaches that centre relationships, reciprocity and impact. Throughout the day, attendees engaged in keynotes, panels, speed talks and informal conversations, sharing lessons from diverse projects, disciplines and partnership contexts.

This report reflects on the key themes, insights and next steps that emerged – and the shared belief that co-production, while often challenging, offers a powerful pathway towards more just and sustainable futures.

Why now?

Although CSIRO has long collaborated with government, industry, Indigenous and community partners, not all of this work has historically been recognised as “co-production.”

Symposium organisers believe that’s changing, and that more deliberate attention to this way of doing science and practice is critical as we face increasingly complex sustainability challenges.

“Co-production is essential to enable us to respond to pressing issues,” said Dr Kirsten Maclean, Principal Research Scientist and symposium co-organiser. “It’s an approach that takes time and effort, but also delivers more sustainable outcomes, at both the personal and institutional level, and within partnerships.”

As Dr Maclean explains, “Co-production honours different ways of knowing and thinking, and builds deep trust among participants in a research process. It sometimes challenges existing arrangements and opens opportunities for seeing problems and opportunities in new ways. This means that projects that embrace co-production tend to have impact through building support for shared outcomes, rather than just delivering a report. Co-production therefore offers powerful ways of working with diverse people and perspectives to create shared impact.”

For co-organiser Dr Emma Jakku, a Senior Research Scientist in the Sustainability Pathways Program, the high level of interest was a welcome surprise, and a strong indicator that the time was right for the event.

“There is clearly a lot of interest in learning about co-production and engaging with other colleagues working in this space to share lessons and experiences,” she said. “It was a great opportunity for people to catch up with research partners and make new connections.”

Shared challenges

The day opened with a Welcome to Country from Shannon Ruska (Tribal Experiences), whose words set the tone for the symposium and emphasised the importance of having an open mind – approaching research and partnerships in a playful, willing way. As attendees moved through keynote presentations, panels and speed talks, this sense of curiosity remained a guiding thread.

Dr Maclean said she was particularly keen to hear from external speakers and panellists who had worked in partnership with CSIRO. “I wanted to learn about other ways to do co-production outside of CSIRO, and to hear honest reflections on what worked and what could be improved,” she said. “This kind of feedback is critical for growing and refining our practice.”

Among the highlights was a panel featuring government and industry representatives who had worked in partnership with CSIRO, and who spoke candidly about the opportunities and challenges of co-production. For Dr Aysha Fleming, Principal Researcher in Living Landscapes and symposium co-organiser, this session was a personal favourite.

“It was so nice to hear about CSIRO from an external point of view and get examples of how the work impacts the real world,” she said. “I expected more discussion of the time and resource costs, but instead the panel were true champions of our work.”

Other highlights of the agenda included four keynote presentations reflecting on the science and practice of co-production, and a speed talk session that included several early career researchers – a powerful signal that the future of co-production is in capable hands. “It was great to see both emerging and established researchers across many disciplines taking this work forward,” said Dr Fleming.

Holding space for complexity

If there was one takeaway echoed by all three organisers, it’s that co-production is hard; but it’s worth it. The work demands time, trust-building, and often, a willingness to sit with discomfort.

As Dr Maclean noted, “Co-production involves holding space for personal discomfort while building partnerships. That discomfort is an indicator of feeling vulnerable, but it’s part of the process when you are developing trusting two-way relationships.”

“Once we have all invested time and established such relationships, there may be opportunities for future work,” she continued. “But it’s important to weave in elements of storytelling, play, innovative methodologies and humour.” 

Dr Jakku agreed, highlighting the importance of negotiating trust and power dynamics.

“There’s a real diversity in how people approach co-production,” she said. “What matters is that we keep learning from each other and acknowledging the complexity.”

Finding strength in community

Beyond the practical skills and shared frameworks, the symposium offered something more intangible but no less valuable: a sense of belonging. For researchers tackling complex and emotionally demanding issues like climate change and environmental degradation, this matters deeply.

“It was incredibly inspiring to feel the passion and empathy in the room,” said Dr Fleming. “This kind of work requires a lot of personal investment. This event reminded me that I’m not alone; there are so many people fighting for the same things I am.”

That collective energy didn’t end when the sessions closed. “We hope this is just the beginning,” said Dr Jakku. “We’re now working to share the insights more widely, including internally via a Confluence page and to external stakeholders through the Valuing Sustainability Future Science Platform’s website. There’s a strong appetite to build a CSIRO-wide community of practice.”

Several attendees have already followed up to explore project collaborations, and the organising committee is considering future events and shared spaces to keep the momentum going.

Attendees described the event as both energising and thought-provoking, with many highlighting the value of learning alongside colleagues from across disciplines and organisations. “There was something interesting and useful in every presentation,” said Dr Alison Greenaway, Science Team Leader, Landscape Policy and Governance with Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.

Dr Greenaway gave a keynote presentation, and later reflected that the symposium helped clarify her thinking around how and where co-production is best resourced.

“I’ll be advocating for co-production at a platform or programme level – where long-term strategic thinking with partners is possible – rather than expecting every project to take this approach. Thanks for helping me strengthen my insights on this.”

Looking ahead

All three organisers agree that institutional support will be key to embedding co-production more deeply within CSIRO. This includes recognising the time-intensive nature of the work, supporting researcher wellbeing, and ensuring champions for co-production are visible across all levels of the organisation.

In keeping with the creative spirit of the day, visual scribe Gavin Blake captured live illustrations of the event’s key themes – images that organisers hope to share alongside written reflections.

“The visuals are a great record of the day,” said Dr Jakku, “and a reminder that storytelling, play and innovative methods are central to how we connect and collaborate.”

Looking to the future, Dr Maclean emphasised that co-production has a vital role to play in meeting the scale and complexity of the challenges ahead – and that CSIRO has a key role to play. “The next 50 years will be characterised by unprecedented environmental challenges,” she said. “To respond appropriately and in a timely manner, CSIRO must partner with diverse sectors to address these complex challenges and lead science processes that are more inclusive, enabling and result in useful outcomes.”

Symposium co-organiser Dr Jakku is in full agreement. “Co-production offers our best chance to tackle these future wicked problems and to ensure the necessary transitions are ecologically, socially and culturally sustainable,” she says. “This is something that CSIRO can and should lead.”

Dr Fleming echoed this perspective, highlighting the ripple effects of co-production across multiple scales. “Our daily work, as well as our project outcomes, contributes to change – at personal, relational, and institutional levels. That’s the promise of co-production.”

In a world grappling with urgent environmental and social challenges, that promise has never been more important, or more powerful.