As part of the MIT REAP program, Team Queensland documented their journey, data and strategy in the report Queensland Connects. This report has underpinned a range of actions in Queensland to support the growth and development of the Queensland innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem including the key activities of 1) implementing the Queensland Connects Program across 10 Queensland regions to date with a further cohort focussed on disaster resilience to come in 2023, 2) forming the Queensland Government Innovation Advisory Council to support the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur and advise the relevant Minister for Innovation and 3) funding an Advance Queensland Fellowship focussed on Innovation Metrics which has continued to support and inform the data driven approach of the Advance Queensland strategy.
Team Queensland members have gone on to make strong contributions to the Queensland innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem including
– Wayne Gerard being appointed as Queensland’s 4th Chief Entrepreneur (2021-2022),
– Professor Bronwyn Harch being appointed as the Queensland Chief Scientist (acting) (2022-),
– Professor Rowena Barrett being appointed QUT’s inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor Entrepreneurship (2021- )and becoming the inaugural Chair of the Innovation Advisory Council (2022-2023),
– Dr Char-lee McLennan being awarded an Advance Queensland mid-career Fellow (2020-2023), and
– Professor Arun Sharma being recognised as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at QUT (2020) and being appointed as Chair of the QMIR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (2022- ).
Through the MIT REAP program a strong relationship was built between MIT and QUT which led to the signing of a 5 year strategic collaboration agreement that sees an exchange of staff and students between the institutions. students and staff who learn together. QUT MBAs spend 2 weeks a year at MIT on an innovation immersion, QUT Entrepreneurship students participate in MIT FUSE over the Australian summer, a 9 part Future Enterprise Webinar series, International Faculty Fellows and other knowledge sharing and learning engagements occur between MIT and QUT.
