ILLAWARRA INNOVATION SHOWCASE

 

Over the last couple of years an amazing transformation has been occurring on the East Campus of the University of Wollongong. The Innovation Campus has started to take shape with the first buildings (IC Central) due to be opened by the Premier in late June. So it’s with much pleasure that I can inform you that the IRDB and the Illawarra Innovation Showcase Steering Committee has joined forces with the University to run the Innovation Showcase following the official opening of IC Central.

The Innovation Showcase is traditionally run in May as part of the National Festival of Innovation, however with significant opening at the Innovation Campus made it important to coincide this years Showcase with that event.

We will again celebrate what has become one of the region's most significant events: the celebration of the Illawarra's best, most innovative and exciting endeavours.

The Illawarra Regional Development Board is incredibly proud to host this year’s event being the fourth Illawarra Innovation Showcase, expanding even further on the foundations planted eight years ago when the Illawarra first started celebrating its innovative strengths in a week-long calendar of events.

The Illawarra Innovation Showcase is an opportunity to celebrate the many and varied accomplishments of our local business, industry, education and government sectors and never more so than in 2008.

So successful is this event that it has been recognised nationally as one of the leading innovation festivals of its type in Australia and its success is due to the many local partners who have shared the Board's enthusiasm for promoting our innovative endeavours.

This year we will see world first innovative techniques in health as well as many private sector events, reflecting the importance of the IRDB and NSW Government’s decision to provide this opportunity for the innovators of our region.

The week will see 20 separate events showcasing everything from doing business in China from a small business perspective to maximising profitability, minimising risk in a carbon constrained world and we are also fortunate to hold this year's 2008 launch of the Premier's NSW Foundation Export Innovation Awards.

The support of our media partners to date has been exceptional and, through their extensive and positive coverage In previous years will again help promote organisations involved and their achievements but have our region thinking about just how innovative we are. That in itself is an achievement and one which I believe will set the scene for a successful event in 2008.

I am delighted therefore to again thank the NSW Government, the Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell and the team at the Department of State and Regional Development for their support in 2008.

Garry Langton
Chairman