20 years from Smart State to Startup State
A desire to do things differently, stand out from the crowd and just think bigger are intrinsic traits of all Queenslanders that weave through all stories of ‘innovation’.
Expo88 put Queensland on the map and firmly on the global stage — an event that planted a local seed and grew in to future world ideas.
When the Smart State campaign was launched in 1998, the focus was clear — provide better infrastructure, education, training, and skilling for Queenslanders to guarantee improvements to traditional industries and the creation of new ones.
At its core, this was a strategy built on innovation — a buzz word yet to truly prove its power, but a way of thinking employed to support every day Queenslanders make big changes.
What was born 20 years ago out of a desire to make Queensland an active hub for new ideas that would impact our own background, has now proved the state as a national — and global — base for some of the world’s greatest achievements.
A story of transformation
This is a story of transformation.
A story of a state that made conscious choices about its future.
A state that planned to play the long game and provide a platform for every day people to attempt great things — and succeed.
“The successes of the Smart State strategy and the Advance Queensland initiative have delivered an environment where anything is possible in this state.
“This has been created on a foundation of future preparedness for a changing world that Queenslanders are not only active contributors but leaders in their own right.
“Everything that has got us to this point is truly just the beginning of what’s possible.” — Paul Martyn, Deputy Director-General, Strategy and Innovation, October 2018.
From the outset, the Smart State strategy had a focus on investment in innovation infrastructure that would facilitate science of significance.
The intention to make Queensland the home of world-class research facilities, tasked with spearheading game-changing discoveries, was considered verbose at the time.
Today, locations such as the $105 million Queensland Bioscience Precinct house more than 700 scientists from The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) and the CSIRO’s divisions of livestock industries, plant industry and sustainable ecosystems.
The committed investment to other facilities such as the Queensland Brain Institute at UQ, the Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation based at the Queensland University of Technology, and the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus; as well as financial support for research fellows to study in Queensland, not only yielded scientific results, it created jobs and brought talent to Queensland.
In fact, the number of scientists working in Queensland increased by nearly 10,000 between 1997–1998 and 2008–2009.
In just ten years, Queensland had transformed from a state having a poor record in research and development and innovation by both Australian and international standards, to one that was exceeding all expectations and targets.
Queensland has maintained world-recognised excellence in many fields of health and medical research, but also has strengths in other important sectors.
Advancements in manufacturing, export practices, agriculture, natural resources and defence technology were all made through increased research and development investment.
From changing the way industries were serviced via increased connectivity, to how teachers delivered science in classrooms — the Queensland community was benefiting and growing as a result of the reinvigorated focus on innovation.
Open for business: selling Queensland to the world … and attracting the world to Queensland
The Queensland Innovation Council was established in 1999 and described innovation as:
“… the conversion of knowledge and ideas in to a benefit, which may be for commercial use or for the public good; the benefit may be in new or improved products, processes or services.”
It was a theme that Queenslanders embraced, particularly in the biotechnology space, at a time where other Australian states were not.
In 1999 the first ever Queensland-led delegation attended the world’s largest biotechnology conference and exhibition — BIO — in the American city of Seattle.
More than 40 biotechnology industry representatives from across the state were involved, and eight Queensland organisations exhibited under the Australian Pavilion stand — the only Australian state represented at the time.
BIO is now a significant cornerstone of annual trade deals, and in 2018 Queensland took its 20th mission to the event to showcase the best of the state’s biotechnology in front of more than 18,000 delegates from around the world.
It’s the type of opportunity that facilitates venture capital investments in companies like Vaxxas; a start-up enterprise developing an advanced platform for needle-free vaccine delivery — technology that originated at UQ-based Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
“Venture capital financing offers the best hope for emerging biotech small to medium sized businesses to get their product up to the stage they can go to market.
“While venture capital fundraising is on the rise in Australia — worth A$1 billion in the 2016/17 financial year — there is seven times more capital available in the US.” — Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier and Minister for Trade, June 2018.
Attracting worldwide interest in Queensland ideas and products paid dividends for the state, in piqueing the interest of some of the biggest companies in the world to set up shop in our backyard.
2018 also marked 20 years since Boeing Australia Limited — a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company — moved its operation to new headquarters in Brisbane.
The move not only bought thousands of new jobs with it, the relocation offered invaluable connections to a high-technology aerospace company for local small to medium sized businesses.
Boeing’s new base also helped support the establishment of Australia’s first dedicated Aviation High School in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, and new curricular for Queensland high schools to teach aerospace subjects.
A move that’s quite literally given Queenslanders wings.
Beyond Expo88: the innovation event state
26 years after the world was captivated by Queensland during Expo88, the world came back to visit when Brisbane hosted the G20 Summit of 2014.
The Summit — where world leaders meet to make decisions on key economic and financial policy issues — was the most significant meeting of world leaders Australia has ever hosted.
Around 4000 delegates and 3000 international and domestic media representatives attended the event, giving Queensland an unrivalled opportunity to foster international networks and highlight the best of the state.
One of those delegates was the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
When he addressed a packed auditorium at UQ, President Obama left little doubt that the state’s innovation efforts were acknowledged and highly regarded the world over.
“This university (UQ) is recognised as one of the world’s great institutions of science and teaching. Your research led to the vaccine that protects women and girls around the world from cervical cancer.
“Your innovations have transformed how we treat disease and how we unlock new discoveries.” — Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, November 2014
Just a few months later the global recognition was delivered to the streets of Brisbane once again, with the Queensland Museum Network securing the exclusive license to host the World Science Festival in the Asia Pacific from 2016–2021.
A New York phenomenon, the World Science Festival explores and celebrates science through thought-provoking conversations, inspiring theatrical and cinematic experiences, interactive workshops and engaging demonstrations.
“We started the World Science Festival back in 2008 to create a new kind of science experience for the general public — programming that would capture the wonderous ideas of science but also the dramatic stories of discovery.
“It’s so exciting for all of us here in New York to partner with all of you at the Queensland Museum to bring this kind of programming to Australia.” — Professor Brian Greene, World Science Festival Co-founder, May 2016
But perhaps the greatest event to ensure an enduring innovation impact on Queensland long after its official closing was the 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).
Much like government has provided the platform for Queenslanders to innovate, GC2018 provided the catalyst for accelerating the transformation of the Athletes Village in to the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP).
A home away from home for thousands of international athletes in April 2018, the hub is now home to more than 1000 researchers and 700 research students.
The precinct also includes the Gold Coast University and Gold Coast Private Hospitals, Griffith University, research centres and global companies operating in partnership with researchers and clinicians.
It’s here that biomedical researchers are working towards eradicating malaria; where clinical trials are being conducted to treat deadly brain aneurisms; and ground-breaking allied health innovations for exercise and nutrition are being progressed.
Startup State: The next decade in innovation
20 years on from the birth of the Smart State, there is much for Queensland to reflect on and be proud of.
But there’s no end date on the achievements ‘to-do’ list. No finish line to be marked against changes or advancements.
Just think — when the Smart State strategy was launched, the internet wasn’t considered to be a potential disruption to daily life.
‘Startup’ wasn’t even a word. Now it’s an industry proving to be the engine room of Queensland.
So now it’s time to make a plan for the future and ask ourselves — what does the next 10 years of opportunities in Queensland look like?
The ‘Building Our Future Economy’ review is aimed at ensuring Queensland’s innovation system meets the many major economic, social and community challenges that will arise through digital and technological disruption in coming decades.
Making sure that Queenslanders are provided with the choices and opportunities necessary to create new jobs in the wake of the resources boom.
Making sure universities and research institutes continue to work with business and industry to make Queensland competitive, and back our strengths.
Making sure that Queensland is ready to meet the challenges of ever-changing global technology.
These are just some of the key focus areas the review will search for answers around in an effort to identify policies and programs that produce the best results — and determine how new challenges are met.
Leaders from across Queensland’s innovation system have helped to shape a draft strategy and action plan to make sure everyone gets a say in how innovation and opportunity is supported — from Brisbane to Boulia to Bowen and Bamaga … and back again.
The review will result in a new plan which will shape the next phase in Queensland’s innovation agenda.
Remember — this is a story of transformation.
Let’s see what’s possible when we work together: with trademark Queensland ambition and confidence. Let’s get ready to do things differently.
