The chief executives of leading Australian digital economy and communications companies have urged governments to stand firm on tough lockdown laws, and learn the lessons from the period in reshaping the local economy for more innovation-based industries.

While thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands of workers are struggling to survive the immediate effects of a stage four lockdown in Melbourne, digitally focused companies in the areas of retail, buy-now-pay-later, communications and online marketplaces have thrived, with growth they believe is sustainable.