Tasmanian innovation leaps ahead

Hot on the heels of the Federal Budget’s call for innovators to swing into action, Tasmanian entrepreneurs are embarking on commercialising three major innovative projects over the next month.

From from a groundswell of energy in the Tasmanian business community largely being played out in social media, the entrepreneurs and others passionate about Tasmania’s future economy came together recently, after an intense round of responses and discussion on a LinkedIn post about the Tasmanian economy.

MEDIA RELEASE

16 May 2014

Tasmanian Innovation Flying from the Nest

After several weeks of wide-ranging thought sharing and debate online, they resolved to press ahead to create real change in Tasmania, and committed to meet in person to brainstorm how to progress real action for Tasmanian innovation and new business.

In their first meeting held in Hobart, they agreed that projects put forward could be further developed by champions who would take it to their connections to support the project into reality.

"We wanted to be an action-oriented collective, not just another talk fest," says spokesperson David Wells.

"It was critical to us that we had a practical way for passionate people to pursue actual projects to fruition completely."

Three projects out of the discussion are now poised for commercial launch:

Get Funding Pty Ltd - a crowd funding platform to provide research and development funds for start-ups and innovation, led by David & Jenelle Wells from Millpark Corporation Pty Ltd;

The Tasmanian Innovations Exchange - a new media platform to shine the spotlight Tasmanian innovation news in the state and beyond, led by Jess Tyler from SciBiz Media & Communications;

The '1000 jobs for Tasmania' initiative - a series of workshops and one-on-one sessions led by Cameron Johns form Cameron J Consulting to ignite the spark in the Tasmanian economy through working with High Growth Potential Businesses to create 1000 new jobs.

"The key to the fast results we're achieving is being able to get people together to share their experience, resources and connections, and in some cases this leveraging has been the tipping point in getting the project off the ground," says Mr Wells.

Mr Wells hopes to generate interest from more entrepreneurial thinkers and 'go getters' so that new projects can be developed that will be imaginative, resourceful and supremely beneficial for Tasmania

For more information contact David Wells 0433 442820 or

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commented 2014-05-27 10:19:45 +1000 · Flag

Very good Jess. If you’re hoping to change all that here is a very friendly comment and a suggestion of where you could start. When all people from the state of Tasmania stop referring to the other states as “The Mainland” and either refer to “NSW’ or Victoria” or “The other states of Australia” in their conversations and written material I will believe there is real change coming about. Sorry to say but it is a subtle and far too common “Tasmanian mindset” that gets instilled into people from a young age and sets them up to under perform. Sure there are people not affected by it and other people that have set themselves to overcome it, whether they realise it or not, but the general population is carrying it around and it’s very very damaging to the future of Tasmania to persist in it. Too simple a solution? maybe, maybe not.

commented 2014-05-27 09:59:57 +1000 · Flag

Thanks Ag! But you know, there are MANY others at the starting blocks – but we don’t often hear about them or their success. Here at StartupTasmania we’re hoping to change all that – bringing startups out of the ’burbs, into coworking spaces, into the media, into networks – so that we can support what we know is a vibrant community. Share your story!

commented 2014-05-27 09:54:10 +1000 · Flag

Way to go Tassie. I’ve thought for a long time that Tassie would be the best place in Australia to be innovative and in business… there’s hardly anyone else at the starting blocks! Go for it, the potential is huge!