Talent and research are crucial engines of digital economies. This session tackles the systemic challenge of tech-driven disruption, examining how to build robust talent pipelines and bridge the gap between lab and market. Experts will discuss how academic research translates into deployable innovations, how industry-university partnerships can be fostered to deliver real-world applications, and how reskilling can be scaled to meet market demand. Attendees will gain outcome-driven insights with illustrative examples from Western Australia's experience as a live testbed for scalable models of collaboration.