Capability and Capacity: Innovation bursaries and conference sponsorship
This project provides opportunities to be exposed to innovation, build and develop capability and capacity, connect with innovation networks and generate new contacts. These opportunities will demonstrate benefits of being in innovation space for new entrants from fishing and aquaculture through encourage and enabling participation. The project aims to stimulate collaboration and increase the visibility of "getting into innovation", potentially increasing ideas to feed into future investment lanes and possibly more adoption. This includes exposing fresh minds to spark novel ideas who are unaware of opportunities and/or may experience barriers to participate.
The skills and capabilities required to intervene in complex systems need to be developed to capitalise on new systems and processes. This includes mechanisms to engage stakeholders to focus, priorities and invest in capability and capacity development locally and nationally. EvokeAg is a flagship event, focused on showcasing and stimulating innovation through connecting people with each other and to knowledge, information and
$75,000 sponsorship (includes exhibition stand and furniture, printing and 5 x 2024 tickets (2025 & 2026 details tbc) over 3 years
$110,000 bursaries ($6k - conference and side event tickets, flights, accommodation, travel incidentals) - allows for 18 full bursaries over 3 years OR a mixed level of support (e.g. partial bursary, alternative innovation event)
2024 World Fisheries Conference bursary (Seattle, USA)
Capability & Capacity: 2024 Electric & Hybrid Marine Expo North America and Conference
Providing opportunities for fishing and aquaculture stakeholders to engage with the latest global information and technology, learn and network from leaders, innovators and practitioners in the electric and hybrid marine space is key to enabling innovation and adoption. Participants will experience and engage with technology, approaches and people via the expo and conference program.
Through attending, participants will build their capabilities and share knowledge with peers/stakeholders to inform, enable and drive change in Australia. The project intends to maintain momentum through this investment, empowering stakeholders to communicate and extend their experiences to contextualise opportunities for Australia and encourage future participation and attendance at similar events.
Final report
I note that the US Expo was of a much smaller size than the European Expo and did not have the displays and working models available to interact with. There is no doubt that a visit to the European Expo for Seafood industry participants would be very valuable. This should be targeted at those parts of industry than could not attend the US forum due to season dates ( ie Trawl).
The participation of Dr Jennifer Marshall gave those attending a link into the FRDC executive and the relationship will be further strengthen by her attendance and interaction with the team.
Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd.
Pathways to social license for the emerging Tasmanian seaweed industry
Sectors in the blue economy need to understand and manage social expectations in order to maintain their social license and ensure a satisfactory triple bottom line. This is a particular challenge for emerging industries, where data relating to community attitudes and expectations is limited. In the case of Tasmanian seaweed aquaculture, securing social license may be further complicated by existing perceptions and conflict surrounding salmon aquaculture.
The key elements needed to address the challenge of establishing and maintaining a social license for seaweed aquaculture in Tasmania are:
1. A survey of current community attitudes to industry expansion.
2. A tool to understand the evolution of attitudes and test communication strategies, policy options and industry practices in relation to managing social risk.
3. A coherent set of strategies for navigating pathways towards a social licence for seaweed aquaculture.