Summit to showcase Townsville innovation, creativity
Date published: 28 April 2016
Representatives from Townsville City Council will join about 600 delegates in Brisbane next week for a summit that will promote the Townsville region as a hub for innovation and creativity.
The Advance Queensland Innovation and Investment Summit (AQIIS) will be held on April 28 and 29 at the Royal International Conference Centre.
Advance Queensland is the State Government’s flagship agenda to drive job creation and economic growth through innovation.
Council’s Planning and Development Committee chair Cr Les Walker said the summit would attract global experts, provide opportunities for investment business matching and be a dynamic platform for attendees to showcase their talents, learn from speakers, be inspired and build new networks and partnerships.
“Council will host a regional booth during the summit showcasing what we are doing in the Townsville region, not only as a council, but as a region as a whole,” Cr Walker said.
“We will be promoting the region as investment ready.”
Joining council will be eight potential start-up businesses from the region that will showcase their products and seek investment.
Their involvement has been facilitated through iNQ (InnovateNQ) – a newly established co-working, innovation hub in Townsville.
“Council has been a supporter of the growth of innovators in Townsville and we will also host an external event inviting targeted delegates and our start-ups,” Cr Walker said.
“The aim is to strengthen the relationships and possible partnerships between the two and allow our start-ups to learn from the experiences of invited guests.”
Council will host a live streaming event in Townsville during the summit, so that start-ups or emerging entrepreneurs who are not able to attend the summit will have an opportunity to access the event and speakers.
Council and Start Up Townsville is organising a live streaming event which will be held at JCU city campus on Friday, April 29 from 2.30pm to 6.30pm.
Summit Objectives:
INSPIRE: Queensland business and industry to innovate and invest
EDUCATE: firms and industry leaders around global trends and best practice around using the innovation process in their own business/sector
SHOWCASE: Queensland’s innovation potential to investors, locally and internationally
NETWORK: opportunities between firms and investors, creating the basis for future deal flow
INFLUENCE: the priority given to innovation in key sectors by industry leaders
POSITION: the Advance Queensland agenda going forward as central to the state’s economic prosperity
