Any good ideas lately?

Have you had an idea for something new, something useful that has gone that next step toward entering the market? Is it making a difference either in business or the community? Perhaps you are trialing a new device, own a patent that you are now developing or have set up your own business in order to produce something new.

Here's your opportunity to tell people about it.

A successful and healthy economy needs individuals and businesses that are innovative and forward thinking. Innovation drives enterprise and entrepreneurship. Young achievers need role models and anecdotes of achievement for them to define the phrases “innovation” and “entrepreneurship”.

Innovate, communicate

Innovators need to communicate clearly about their inventive, and often pioneering, work to potential investors, industry users and other key stakeholders such as the wider business community and media.

The 'Fresh Innovators' forum offers the potential for wide media exposure for innovative work from the fields of science, technology and engineering. It helps early career innovators develop expertise in presenting their ideas clearly to a general audience and to the media.

At the same time it assists the media in identifying and publishing accurate innovation stories and helps to demonstrate the economic benefits of innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialisation.

The successful finalists are likely to get wide media exposure.

The Fresh Innovators competition aims to bring the passion and achievements of early career Australian innovators to a broad Australian audience – the mass media, students, industry and the general public.

It aims to:

• raise awareness of the impact of innovation on Australian society and the economy

• provide positive role models in innovation and entrepreneurship

• achieve public recognition of the achievements of Australian innovators via the mass media in Australia and overseas

• create a cadre of media savvy as well as business savvy early career innovators by providing media training and real media experience for 16 “Fresh Innovators"

What's involved?

16 successful nominees will present their research to audiences including the media, students, the public and business audiences in Brisbane from 8 to 10 May 2006 (during the Australian Innovation Festival).

As part of the forum they will:

• present their innovation to audiences including the press, students, the public and relevant businesses and government bodies at a series of daytime and evening events in Brisbane during the Innovation Festival;

• have access to experienced science communicators to advise on their presentation and media release;

• issue a media release and be available for media interviews during the event and/or the weeks following

• participate in a one day media training course and in a debriefing workshop where they will have the opportunity to review the media reports of their work.

Travel and accommodation will be provided for participants from outside Brisbane.

Think you’ve got what it takes?

Then check out the selection criteria, fill in the nomination form and send it to Niall at: niall@freshinnovators.org or fax (03) 9923 6008 by Tuesday, 18 April 2006.

You can apply yourself or get a relevant organisation or someone external to nominate you.

• How to nominate (includes selection criteria)

• Nomination form