World-renowned oceanographer and entrepreneur Professor Tony Haymet has been appointed as Australia’s new Chief Scientist.

Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic announced the appointment on Tuesday, with Haymet replacing Dr Cathy Foley in the role, who recently finished her term.

As Australia’s tenth Chief Scientist, Haymet will provide independent scientific advice to the federal government, champion science and research systems, and improve the nation’s scientific capability.

Prior to the new role, Haymet was the chair of the Antarctic Science Foundation and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Climate Change Working Group.

Across his career in the US and Australia, he has served as a professor, founder and director.

“Tony Haymet is an outstanding Australian, who will make an exceptional Chief Scientist,” Husic told the media on Tuesday.

“With a scientific background spanning several disciplines, along with the commercial runs on the board, Tony’s lived and breathed the value of scientific collaboration.

“He will make a powerful advocate for our world-class science and research community, with experience on the international stage as an advocate only adding to his stellar research career.”

Global-spanning career

Across the 1980s, Haymet worked across a number of institutions in the US, including Harvard University.

He then returned to Australia and served as professor and chair of Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Sydney.

Returning to America in 1998, Haymet was appointed distinguished university professor of chemistry at the University of Houston, and two years later founded the university’s Environmental Modelling Institute.

In 2003 he returned to Australia to helm CSIRO’s Marine and Atmospheric Research division and became the founding director of the Wealth from Oceans Flagship.

He has also authored nearly 180 peer-reviewed publications and served as chair of the Oceans Council at the World Economic Forum in 2012-13.

Haymet said he was “delighted” to be taking on the new role as Chief Scientist.

“It’s the role of a lifetime and I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” he said.

“Throughout my term I will be emphasising the importance of measurements, of data and scientific facts.

“My role is to support the scientists out on the farms, the deserts and oceans – it’s measuring what’s happening to our land, water and atmosphere.”

Haymet’s three-year term in the role began this week.

The appointment was welcomed by Australian Academy of Science president professor Chennupati Jagadish.

“Professor Haymet has made outstanding contributions to Australian and international science, its application and philanthropy,” Jagadish said in a statement.

“We look forward to continuing the unique and long-standing relationship between the Chief Scientist and Australia’s learned academies given our shared remit of providing independent scientific advice to government.”

The AI opportunity

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Haymet said he was open to nuclear energy playing a role in Australia’s energy mix but that he will be focused on energy sources that are immediately available.

“I’m looking at the slate of energies that are going to be available to help us right now,” he said.

“If we wait until we perfect wave energy or nuclear fusion, or some other source of power, we’re going to miss the bus.”

In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Haymet said the AI boom will be “huge” and Australia is well-positioned to capitalise on this because of its ability to produce renewable energy.

“It requires an enormous amount of electricity, and I think that’s going to give Australia an edge, because by whatever means you want to make it, Australia can make a lot of renewable energy,” Haymet told the publication.

“The world wants AI and they want it delivered with no greenhouse gas emissions.”