Andrew Wear is an economic development strategist, author and public policy professional specialising in place-based growth, industry transition and the climate economy. As the founder of Econovation, he works with cities, regions and industries to respond to structural change and position for long-term economic opportunity.

Andrew was formerly City Economist and Director of Economic Development and International at the City of Melbourne, where he played a central role in shaping the city’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also held senior economic development roles with the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions and Regional Development Victoria.

His expertise is recognised internationally. Andrew collaborates regularly with the OECD Local Development Forum and the World Economic Forum, and his work on economic recovery and transformation has been published widely. He is the author of Solved: How other countries cracked the world’s biggest problems (and we can too) (2020) and Recovery: How we can create a better, brighter future after a crisis (2021), both of which have attracted international attention and been translated into multiple languages.

Andrew’s public thinking appears in peer-reviewed journals as well as the Australian Financial Review, The Guardian and The Saturday Paper. He is a regular speaker on economic development, climate and cities, and has recently delivered a TEDx Melbourne talk on how the climate transition is reshaping city and regional economies.

Andrew holds degrees in politics, law, economics and public policy, and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. A Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria), he is also a director of BioMelbourne Network and a member of the Victoria/Tasmania Advisory Council for CEDA, the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.