Dr Cara Stitzlein

Dr Cara Stitzlein is a Senior Research Scientist and leads the Digital Futures Team, focused on working with data, people, and systems to identify and co-create digital opportunities that positively impact Australia.

She specializes in adapting design thinking principles to help organizations and stakeholders navigate complex transitions, particularly around environmental change and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Her work leverages a unique combination of facilitated exploration, rapid prototyping, and relationship brokerage to drive meaningful outcomes in times of uncertainty.

Her projects address the increasing pace and complexity of modern life, where environmental, technological, and social changes create both challenges and opportunities. She connects stakeholders with data, tools, and processes to build adaptive capacity and resilience, with current emphasis on climate disclosure reporting and responsible innovation in digital technologies.

With over two decades of experience in Australia, Cara holds a PhD in cognitive engineering from the University of Queensland (2014). Within CSIRO, she's been an active contributor to multiple Future Science Platforms. Her product portfolio includes market-ready digital tools including LOOC-C (carbon farming discovery tool, 2019), LOOC-B (rapid biodiversity assessment tool, 2021), and EcoActionAI (climate disclosure reporting tool, 2025).

Recognized through the Global Talent Independent programme in 2020, her research interests span design science, responsible innovation, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Based in Hobart since 2015, she's particularly passionate about helping organizations navigate dual transitions in sustainability and digital transformation, ensuring these changes benefit both people and planet.