The executive discussion explored how Queensland was translating its innovation agenda into practical outcomes, with a focus on productivity, resilience and economic growth. Government and industry leaders examined how policy, investment, data and digital infrastructure were enabling innovation to move beyond ambition and into real-world delivery.

The panel brought together The Hon. Steven Minnikin, Rebecca Iwanuscha, Dr Sheila Gough Kenyon and moderator Gisele Kapterian to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling innovation across Queensland. Key themes included moving beyond pilots to applied AI and deeptech at scale, open data, secure systems, R&D incentives, capital attraction and cross-sector collaboration.

The conversation highlighted what it takes to build, fund and deploy secure, resilient and commercially viable technologies, while aligning government, research, industry and investment ecosystems to deliver measurable economic and societal impact.