With 200 showcase events, seminars, exhibitions, open days and information sessions, every Australian state and territory applauded their champions of innovation and provided encouragement to innovators and entrepreneurs of the future. Festival Highlights The Festival featured many of Australia’s foremost experts in the development, commercialisation and protection of new ideas, who publicly shared their knowledge and experience. Some of these key speakers included: • Dr. Jim Fox, MD of Vision Systems. ‘How to develop great ideas and inventions in Australia’ Warren Centre Innovation Lecture Series. Melbourne. May 8th and Sydney. May 9th.
• Hon. Brendan Nelson, Minister for Education, Science and Training launched the National Program at a joint Festival/ANTA event. Sydney Opera House. Sydney. April 24th.
• George Lewin, Founding Director of The Triton Foundation, and inventor of the Triton Workbench. B-HERT Forum ‘Translating an idea into $ Millions’. Brisbane. May 9th.
• Hon. Bob Carr, Premier, ‘Redressing the lack of R&D expenditure in Australia’, in opening the NSW Program at the University of New South Wales. Sydney. April 29th
• Alan Ramadan, a member of Time Magazine’s ‘Top Fifty Digital Cyber Elite’ conducted a Master class on ‘E-Business after the Tech Wreck’. Venturelink Seminar. Melbourne. May 7th.
• Senator Richard Alston, Minister for Communications and the Arts spoke on ‘How the Innovation Agenda can encourage a Clever Community’ WA Visions Forum. Perth. May 1st.
• Professor Carl Wood AC, Founder of Monash IVF Program, 'Capitalising on Innovation for Social & Economic Benefit’. Adelaide. April 30th. • Hon. Clare Martin, Chief Minister launched the Northern Territory program at the Innovation@Sunset Forum, a joint NTIIA/Original IT event. Darwin. May 1st.
• Michael Pascoe, Financial editor for Nine Network’s ‘Business Sunday’ spoke on "Innovation, Creativity and International Competition". Canberra, May 2nd.
• Hon. Ian Macfarlane, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, hosted the national Gala dinner on “Backing Australia’s Entrepreneurs’. Brisbane. May 8th.
• Dr. Bruce Hobbs, Deputy Director CSIRO, ‘What kind of Australia do you want ?' Australian Resources Research Centre. Perth. April 30th.
• Hon. Jim Bacon, Premier, launched the Tasmanian program at the Menzies Medical Research Centre, University of Tasmania. Hobart. May 6th
• IP Australia ran national Small Business IP Seminars on how businesses can gain competitive advantages by safeguarding their innovations. Every State. April 29th to May 9th.
• AusIndustry delivered a national program on ‘Government Assistance to Business’. Every State. April 29th to May 9th.
• Commercialisation Ready Program. An intensive series of workshops aimed at increasing the commercial success of innovative products, process and services. Hobart. May 8th.
• Epicorp’s mission is to grow dynamic enterprises through the provision of world-class support and seed funding for new start and spin-off technology businesses. Canberra. May 6th.
• INNOVIC aims to educate and assist early stage innovators and help to develop and commercialise viable new products and technologies. Melbourne. May 1st.
• Australian Business Angels is one of Australia's largest angel networks for companies in need of capital and private investors seeking deal flow. Nth Sydney. May 8th.
• Business/Higher Education Round Table is a forum where leaders of Australia's business, research and academic communities develop and present recommendations for improving the interaction between Australian industry and higher education institutions. Brisbane. May 9th.