Australia likes to consider itself the "clever country", a phrase made popular by former prime minister Bob Hawke.

We also like to think of ourselves as a nation of inventors - the Hills Hoist, solar hot water systems, the bionic ear and the cervical cancer vaccine were all Australian ideas.

"The team is average": Australia's chief scientist, Professor Ian Chubb. Credit:Rohan Thomson

But we're not as good as we think. Far from "punching above our weight" in science, innovation and technology, Australia is slipping behind many other developed nations, partly because we lack a long-term plan or vision, says the country's chief scientist.