Wrays were pleased to sponsor and actively participate in this year’s LESANZ conference held in Sydney last week.
The conference agenda explored the theme ‘Creative to Commercial – Disruption & Opportunities’ and members of the Wrays team were proud to be part of the organising committee collaborating to shape the robust agenda.
The speakers covered an array of topics, insights, emerging trends and practises and highlight of these was former Chief Scientist for Australia, Prof Ian Chubb, who delivered an informative and forward thinking keynote address. Professor Chubb shared his vision into innovation in Australia – and how innovation can be more effective in the future.
Key highlights of his address include:
- Australia would benefit from more cohesive and effective arrangements for innovation policies and programs, based on a long term strategic framework.
- Government engagement and that long term coherent, comprehensive and strategic approach to science and innovation is needed as a driver to see results.
- Business, universities and public research agencies collectively spend upwards of $29 billion per year but need to work collectively and more effectively to achieve our aspiration.
- Education is key – participation in advanced mathematics and science in year 12 is at its lowest level in two decades, in particular in girls studying maths and science.
- As a nation, we have a lot to learn from what countries are doing overseas, drawing on examples from the US and Luxembourg and where Australia sits in global rankings.
Professor Chubb concluded with a powerful statement which aligns to our own thinking for the future of Innovation in Australia:
“Lawyers, politicians, innovators and entrepreneurs can be very useful to science – just as science will open opportunities for all of them. But to do it well, we all need to understand our history, and we need to be capable of imagining a future – and getting all the means in place to deliver the end. And the courage to do it. I’d say we do it best when we are all together and respecting the important and different contributions we can make.”
As a business that has built its foundation on innovation, we’re excited that these important issues are finally coming to the forefront of industry.