Entrepreneurs head to Silicon Valley for innovation masterclass

A dozen of the state’s most promising entrepreneurs will travel to the US on an information-gathering mission next year under a Palaszczuk Government plan to kick-start the innovation sector in regional Queensland. 

Innovation Minister Kate Jones said the trip, hosted by Brisbane-based company Startup Catalyst, would see 12 entrepreneurs head to California’s famed Silicon Valley in March.

“This is all about taking some of our most creative thinkers in business and technology and helping them to broaden their horizons so they return to regional Queensland and build on what they’ve learnt,” she said.

“This trip is the second of its kind for Queensland after we took a group of innovators to San Francisco and Bolder in January to see how the world’s best tackle ecosystem development.”

The announcement came as Ms Jones made her first visit to Queensland’s Innovation Precinct since she was sworn in this week.

“The Precinct, built with a Palaszczuk Government investment of $6 million as part of Advance Queensland, is home to 18 tenants including startups, investors and government agencies’ innovation teams,” she said.

“Today was a great opportunity to see first-hand the benefits of bringing the best and brightest together in an innovation hub that creates the right environment for emerging innovators and entrepreneurs to forge ahead with job-creating companies.”

Advance Queensland funding will support senior representatives from startup communities in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Bundaberg, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Longreach, Logan and Redlands for the trip from March 4 to March 11.

Advance Queensland is the Palaszczuk Government’s $513 million whole-of-government initiative, supporting jobs across a range of industry sectors.

Each Advance Queensland-supported participant will receive $6000 in support from the $1.5 million Advancing Regional Innovation Program Network Fund to cover mission costs while they are in the United States.

Media contact: Jack Harbour 0419 620 447