The launch of the 2014 Innovator of the Year program was kicked off yesterday at Frasers in Kings Park courtesy of the Department of Commerce. For those of you who are unaware of this program, it has been running here in Perth for 8 years and many of the participants have gone on to achieve great things from their involvement in the program.
I am quite lucky in the fact that when I moved to Perth I had a role as an Events Coordinator and we used to manage the awards so I was exposed to this great program in some way or other for 4 years. Previously the patron of the program was Professor Lyn Beazley, Chief Scientist of WA. When I heard that Lyn was stepping back from this role as patron, I found myself thinking ‘Gee those are some big, but also very pretty shoes to fill’.
The new patron, Professor Fiona Wood, not only had an inspiring message and vibrant persona but beautiful shoes to boot and any concerns I had were snuffed out immediately.
You may remember Fiona from her incredible work in the aftermath of the Bali bombing as she led a team to heal and treat 28 victims with burns being so severe in some cases that they covered over 90% of their bodies. It’s not surprising that we have in-depth admiration for Professor Wood and this was verified when she was voted Reader’s Digest’s ‘most trusted person’ for 6 consecutive years.
Fiona made two excellent points when she gave her introductory speech and I wish to share them with you now as it’s a relevant message that we are hearing more and more often and couldn’t be truer.
- Some people may refer to Perth as ‘that little restaurant on the other side of the world’ yet we are proving with vigour that our innovation community is worthy of their spot on the world stage. Where you are from doesn’t restrict what you can achieve, a great example of this is Barry Marshal, born in Kalgoorlie who was awarded with a Noble Prize in 2005 after discovering the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.
- In order to be successful in our innovation and entrepreneurial space, we must collaborate! There is great strength in cooperation and in order to accomplish great things, we require the skills of many. Embrace and utilise your network and it will expedite your progress dramatically.
Fiona said if she could accomplish one thing, it would be to teach people to problem solve. It seems to me that in some instances, this skill is dying off a little with all our tech gadgets and limitless information at our fingertips but it’s imperative that we retain the ability to think for ourselves, often outside the box if we are going to be innovators.
A fine example of this is the ‘spray on skin’ that Fiona and her team invented. The problem was presented to her with the Bali bombing victims and Fiona began the arduous task of searching for a solution. You see, previous techniques of skin culturing required 21 days to produce enough cells to cover serious burns, Fiona and her team revolutionised the process by reducing that time to only 5 days.
This is a woman who has changed the lives of the people she has touched through her research and dedication but she can also recognise the value in her colleagues and humbly states that without the combined effort of the team, the victims would be the ones to suffer.
The moral of this story is this: Do not let your pride, fear or attitude hinder you from collaboration as you never know who you are burning or how badly. I also urge you to check it out if you have not already. It’s fantastic to have the support and recognition of our government to advance the growth of the State’s innovation based industries.
//Startup News challenge: In fact, why not gain an understanding of the process and rewards for your own innovative start up? Department of Commerce – WA Innovator of the Year
