Innovatia

Queensland program is cited as $101 million. Can you please break down the components? The Advance Queensland initiative is made up of two components. There’s $125.2 million for programs – $100 mil- lion over three years for programs under Advance Queensland; $15 million for the Queensland Innovation Precincts and Places Strategy and Action Plan; and $10.2 million for the Innovation Action Plan and Office of the Chief Entrepreneur. We also committed an additional $5 million in this year’s State Budget to expand support pro- grams for female entrepreneurs. There’s also $17 million for Department of Environment and Science to support pri- ority industry-science centres of excellence and partnerships and accelerate university commercialisation. This funding is complemented by a range of additional investments by other government agencies. Separately, the Advanced Manufacturing 10 Year Roadmap and Action Plan will help man- ufacturers to grasp new opportunities to grow their business and create jobs. Under this plan, $101.5 million is available for the Made in Queensland program. This fund- ing supports small to medium-sized manufac- turers to increase international competitive- ness, productivity, and innovation, leading to jobs creation. Five rounds of the program have been offered to manufacturers so far, with a sixth round to follow. Since its launch in 2017, the program has supported 103 projects across Queensland, with more than one-third of them in regional Queensland.

What are the current strategic medium to long- term development plans for the creation of high tech industries, commercialisation of R&D, col- laboration between university or other research and industry, tech parks as incubators for new company development, and such? The Innovation for a Future Economy 2022-32 Roadmap sets out the future direction, key pri- ority outcomes, and initiatives, including the future of our innovation hubs and how emerging industries and new technologies might shape the economy. Queensland’s innovation places, precincts and hubs bring together Government, research, and industry to create new businesses, jobs and export opportunities. Last year, we launched A Place to Innovate – Queensland Innovation Precincts and Places Strategy 2022–32, which aims to connect and grow our existing innovation infrastructure. The Queensland Artificial Intelligence Hub is an investment in building AI capabilities and global connections, and keeping talented people and jobs in Queensland. The Queensland Immersive Technologies XR Hub, which is co-funded by Advance Queensland and Screen Queensland, supports the development of local talent and the increased use of XR in Queensland prior- ity industries. The Agtech and Logistics Hub in Toowoomba facilitates connections, collabora- tion, partnerships, and opportunities to solve the agricultural industry’s biggest challenges. A priority outcome is translating our world- class research into commercial opportunities, through programs such as Industry Research Fellowships, piloting industry technology road- maps, and delivering new programs to improve collaboration between researchers and industry.

opportunities by supporting new game-chang- ing ideas that solve our biggest social, environ- mental, and economic challenges. The Advance Queensland Innovation for a Future Economy Roadmap 2022-32 initiative is backed by our funding package of $147.2 million. We will continue to build on that commitment in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. Are there any particular surveys, consultations, thought development, or other methods which have been particular to the development of inno- vation funding? We are constantly evaluating our initiatives and their effectiveness to make sure we are get- ting it right. Our 2021-22 evaluation involved consultation with around 1,000 stakeholders who are actively involved in Queensland’s innovation ecosystem. We canvassed motivations, benefits, impacts of COVID-19, and the role of government in sup- porting innovation-driven growth. They told us they saw the role of government as connecting stakeholders and creating an environment that is attractive for business creation and industry attraction, and conducive to scientific and tech- nological innovation. We will continue to do this as we work in partnership with scientists, researchers and the private sector to solve social and economic challenges. Our understanding is that the 2022 funding round made via the Queensland Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport was approx- imately $150 million. We note that the Made in

For nearly a decade now, our government has recognised the increasingly important role of innovation for our economy and jobs. Since its launch in 2015, for example, more than $1.8 billion has been invested in Advance Queensland by our government, external part- ners and investors. Some in the business community believe Queensland start-ups and entrepreneurial activ- ity have been under-supported over the past dec- ade by the government? What is your response to this? Queensland is totally committed to the pro- grams and activities that drive innovation, develop entrepreneurial research and talent, and support start-ups, scale-ups and mature businesses to deliver new products and services into global markets. Since 2015, Advance Queensland has sup- ported more than 7,900 funding recipients, whose projects have directly supported close to 28,000 jobs. The initiative has impressive alumni, including Go1, Tritium, FloodMapp, and Gilmour Space Technologies. Queensland was the first state to appoint a Chief Entrepreneur in 2016. They work with the Queensland Innovation Advisory Council to champion innovation, connect ecosystem stakeholders, attract investment, and acceler- ate innovation through entrepreneurial action across Queensland. Our ongoing investment has helped mature Queensland’s innovation ecosystem to become more globally competitive and attract increased investment in ideas and innovative businesses.

INNOVATIA

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INNOVATIA

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