New innovation festival to sell Queensland to the world

Queensland will host a new event set to become one of the world’s biggest innovation festivals, Innovation Minister Kate Jones announced today.

Ms Jones said QODE– Queensland’s largest ever innovation festival – would be held in April 2019.

It forms part of Curiocity Brisbane, a brand new event developed by the Queensland Government through Tourism Events Queensland and Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Marketing.

“We want QODE to be the premier innovation festival in the Southern Hemisphere – bringing the world’s best entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to our state to work with Queenslanders,” she said.

“This event is an important part of our strategy to create the jobs of the future in Queensland and connect Queensland business with the world.

“We are working really hard to attract global players to Queensland and already we are seeing companies like Rheinmetall and Boeing move operations here.”

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said QODE would bring the world’s thought leaders in technology and innovation to Brisbane at a time when the city’s startup and research sectors were undergoing significant growth.

“I look forward to welcoming more than 1000 innovators, investors and entrepreneurs to QODE in April next year,” Cr Quirk said.

“Home to some of the most innovative and talented people in the world. Brisbane has led the way when it comes to nurturing innovation and meeting the challenges of the digital revolution head on, becoming the second city in the world to appoint a Chief Digital Officer.

“Through the Digital Brisbane 2.0 strategy, we are continuing to empower residents and businesses to thrive in a globally connected, digitally enabled world.

“Conventions and business events such as QODE generate more than $257 million for Brisbane every year and this event will add to Brisbane’s reputation as a New World City.”

Ms Jones said QODE would be a fusion of festival and conference – a gathering point for leaders in innovation and technology to give Queenslanders and visitors powerful insights into the future.

“QODE will merge information, knowledge and investment and will be one of the major pillars of the new Curiocity festival that also includes the successful World Science Festival Brisbane and Brisbane Festival,” she said.

“QODE will help business leaders to predict what’s coming next and get ahead of the curve.

“As well as a festival and conference program, QODE will be a platform for new,
not-yet-launched interactive technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality spaces, pop-up playgrounds and live music events.

“Queensland has developed a reputation as the start-up state. We’re investing in new technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence, through initiatives like the AI Hub at The Precinct to ensure the knowledge-based jobs of the future stay in Queensland.”

Ms Jones said QODE would cover topics like:

• Global trends
• Entrepreneurship
• Data
• The new economy
• New approaches to sustainable living
• Smart urban environments
• Transport, energy and water
• Healthy Living

 Ms Jones said there were also plans for an expo and trade event, workshops for Queensland startups and a schools’ program.

Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur Leanne Kemp said QODE was poised to take Queensland global.

“QODE will together leaders and thinkers representing businesses, high technology, academia and governments from across the globe to analyse the opportunities and challenges presented by technology transformation and the frameworks needed for global scale-up,” Ms Kemp said.

“Revolutionary technologies are giving rise to seismic shifts across the global economic landscape.

“QODE will help accelerate innovation in government, education and corporate leadership and empower Queenslanders to solve global challenges.”