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Melbourne's Groundbreaking Festival Showcases Innovations and Inventions of the Future

This annual festival, presented in partnership with Telstra, brings the expertise of The University of Melbourne, alongside key industry and government representatives, together in Australia’s leading innovation precinct to unlock new and ground-breaking solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges.

Melbourne Connect will play host to more than 30 events spanning from panel discussions and pitches to workshops and demonstrations over five days from 5 to 9 September, and visitors will have the chance to connect with a community of researchers, industry experts, startups, students, and creatives who call the precinct home.

“Melbourne Connect Innovation Week, an exhilarating festival over five days, will showcase leading thinkers and innovators who call the precinct home and presents exciting opportunities for people to come together to exchange ideas and learn from world-class experts.”
– Professor Eduard Hovy, Executive Director, Melbourne Connect


Program highlights include:

  • Melbourne Connect Oration: The Promises and Threats of AI for Society and Business – Hear from Professor Eduard Hovy, Executive Director of Melbourne Connect as he delivers a keynote on how AI has helped to shape society.
  • Top Tech Trends Debate – This debate showcases the visions of five leading industry professionals and their ideas on emerging technologies that will impact our lives.
  • HOPE: We Are the Sustainable Future – Hear from expert panellists in this informative session about the ways we can help slow down climate change.
  • New/Old: Designing to Defy Ageism – This panel discussion invites three different innovators to explore how better design can help us fight ageism.
  • Synthetic Biology – Learn about synthetic biology for the Australian food and agriculture sector and how they can generate economic, social, and environmental benefits.
  • Building the World’s Best 5G Apartment – Join this interactive panel event as a group of Telstra graduates share their insights from the project and reflect on their learning journey.
  • Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Grand Final – Hear from the University’s Graduate Researchers as they communicate their research projects in three minutes or under.
  • Innovation in a Hybrid World – explore ways to harness connection and co-creation in a hybrid world and learn about the challenges and benefits of virtual interaction when innovating.
  • How to Make a Medical Device – Take part in an informative and interactive session on the steps to develop, design, manufacture and commercialise a medical device.
  • Behind the Curtain – Gain insights at a news conference and see The Conversation’s editorial team in action.

For the full program and to register to the events, visit the Melbourne Connect Innovation Week website.

Melbourne Connect Innovation Week is presented in partnership with Telstra.
Telstra has been the prime technology partner of Melbourne Connect since 2020 and is proud to be the inaugural major partner of Melbourne Connect Innovation Week.