Innovation Gippsland

Innovation Gippsland – Making Good Ideas Happen in 2007

What’s in a Name?

Innovation Gippsland (formerly the Gippsland Innovation Festival) begins this year with the Wonthaggi Energy Innovation Festival on March 24th & 25th.

The name change reflects a shift of emphasis for Gippsland’s innovation showcase. Innovation Gippsland will help the region celebrate the incredible range of innovative activities occurring in Gippsland 365 days of the year. Events will peak during May, to coincide with the Australian Innovation Festival, but we’re building the profile of events throughout 2007.

Innovation Gippsland will continue to promote innovation occurring in business, community and government.

Innovation Gippsland 2007 Events

Following are some of the early registrations in this year’s program:

•     Young Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program (Gippsland wide)
•     South East Business Mentoring Project,
•     ‘Inspiring Young People’, run by Baw Baw Latrobe LLEN
•     Gippsland Tourism Industry Leadership Program; and
•     Gippsland Business Awards.

Please contact event organisers if you wish to register an event. If your event illustrates a new idea or way of doing things, something new to Gippsland or a new application or approach which contributes to the sustainability of our region, we would love to hear from you. Call Mikaela Power from Go To… on 0417 159 733 or email goto@otog.net before March 5th, 2007 for more information.

Launch at Monash University

Monash University Gippsland will host the launch of Innovation Gippsland 2007 on Wednesday May 2nd. Sponsored by AusIndustry, the launch will showcase some of Gippsland’s most innovative businesses alongside the work of Monash postgraduate research students. It will be followed by an open afternoon at the Australian Sustainable Industry Research Centre (ASIRC), which community members are welcome to attend.

Thanks to our sponsors

Innovation Gippsland would not happen without significant support from the Gippsland Local Government Network, State Government, AusIndustry, nab, Monash University, Telstra and WinTV. We thank them for their support of Innovation Gippsland 2007.

Thanks also to equipsuper for their support of the ‘Inspiring Young People’ series of events run by the Baw Baw Latrobe Local Learning & Employment Network. This Innovation Gippsland event series builds on the success of ‘Inspiring Young Women’, with ‘Inspiring Young Indigenous Women’ and ‘Straight Talk’, a program for secondary school kids in years eight and nine.

Next Big Thing Coming Your Way

Get cracking! Entries for INNOVIC’s Next Big Thing Award™ 2007 close on Friday 2 March.

The Award is an annual nation-wide competition to find, showcase and award exciting new Australian innovations with the potential to become the ‘next big thing’.

INNOVIC’s Next Big Thing Award™ 2007 is a prestigious event, with cash and prizes valued at $30,000 on offer for three major awards. The finalists’ innovations will be exhibited for six weeks from 1 May 2007 to 8 June 2007 at Innovation @ 257 Collins in Melbourne. From these, an expert panel will determine the Next Big Thing Award 2007 winner.

The 2006 Next Big Thing Award winner, the Mediseus, is a world-first full procedure epidural simulator. Previously, clinicians practised the procedure on patients (now that’s scary!). Since winning, Mediseus has been featured on The New Inventors and in several industry journals.

Visit www.nextbigthingaward.com for applications and further information or to place your vote for the people’s choice award.

What’s INNOVIC?

INNOVIC is an expert provider of services to innovators. It is an independent, not-for-profit organisation which has assisted over 25,000 innovators since its formation 20 years ago.

INNOVIC services include the seven-part Steps to Commercialisation seminar series, strategic planning consultations, patent searches, product and opportunity assessments, mentoring, grants & finance information, and a range of commercialisation activities.

www.innovic.com.au

Endless Innovation – this month’s best blog

If you have ever wondered how Toyota became the most innovative car company in the world, why being innovative is not a fad (but just talking about it might be), or what George Washington looked like at 19 years old, check out http://endlessinnovation.typepad.com