Meet the innovators at next week’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) Association’s 20th anniversary national conference (CRCA 2011) at the Brisbane Convention Exhibition Centre between 17-19 May 2011 and hear first-hand from experts about how research and collaboration will help meet challenges and plan for a positive future.
Among the impressive line-up of speakers and panellists are international thought-leader and Economic Counsellor to the OECD Secretary General, Jonathan Coppel; Australia’s leading research and innovation strategist Dr Thomas Barlow; and Professor Alan Robson AM, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, Chair of the Group of Eight Universities (2007-2010) and Deputy Chair of Universities Australia, who will deliver the prestigious keynote Ralph Slatyer Address on Science and Society.
Other notable speakers include Dr Jim Patrick, Chief Scientist at Cochlear Limited; Major General Mick Slater, DSC, AM, CSC, Chairman of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority; and local talent, Prof Arun Sharma, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Commercialisation) of Queensland University of Technology.
Annabel Sullivan, Director, Convention Bureau, Brisbane Marketing, said the conference will provide Brisbane, Australia’s new world city, with a valuable opportunity to highlight its expertise in its knowledge-based industries and to also showcase its credentials as a world-class business destination for knowledge-industry conferences.
“Brisbane’s strengths in a diverse range of industries and research – backed by quality local expertise – offer the association market excellent links to industry thought-leaders and innovators, and internationally-renowned universities and research.
“The congress will give a first-hand glimpse of Brisbane’s innovation capabilities and research strengths and how our expertise is being transferred to create practical solutions to benefit the community across a range of industries,” said Ms Sullivan.
Professor Tony Peacock, CEO, CRC Association Inc., said the conference will showcase CRCs as important innovation leaders and drivers of successful collaboration between business, universities and research communities. It will also highlight the benefits of innovation and accelerating ideas, as well as examine challenges and opportunities for the future.
“The CRCA 2011 is not just for CRCs. The program and ensuing debate about innovation is relevant to diverse corners of business, industry and the community,” said Professor Peacock.
“The ground breaking work of CRCs delivers benefit to many areas of business and society by developing innovative solutions to real world problems through collaborative relationships."
“The conference commences with a hypothetical forum which is open to the public. This candid panel of energy and sustainability experts will elicit an insightful and thought provoking discussion, relevant to the day-to-day activities of businesses and the community.”
On the final day of the program, with a special focus on Recovery and Reconstruction with particular attention on the lessons learnt from the January Queensland floods, delegates will hear from Major General Mick Slater, Chairman of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Colin Jensen, CEO of Brisbane City Council and transport and utility providers.
Dr Geoffrey Vaughan AO FTSE FRACI will host the special Celebratory Lunch to celebrate the successes and impact of cooperative research as he recalls some of the highlights of the program over the past 20 years.
Some of Brisbane’s globally recognised mining innovators, Mineware and GroundProbe, will be showcased during the conference. So too will Brisbane company, EC3 Global, the commercial arm of world’s largest not-for-profit sustainable tourism cooperative research centre, as well as a number of Brisbane based CRCs – for mining, metals technology, optimising resource extraction, and wound management.
The Excellent in Innovation Awards Dinner will recognise outstanding examples of the transfer of research results, knowledge and technologies that CRCs have delivered.
The CRC national conference is expected to attract 350 delegates and deliver $574,000 worth of economic value to Brisbane.
One day registration is available and tickets to attend the Celebratory Lunch are still available for purchase onsite at BCEC at the conference.
To view the day’s program including the full list of presentations, or to register for the hypothetical forum visit the conference website http://www.lcrca.asn.au/conference.
