Melbourne Connect Innovation Week returns for its third consecutive year, and coincides with the final week of the  DIF Festival.     

MCIW promises an even more impressive and expansive festival than ever before. From 4 to 8 September, Melbourne Connect will once again serve as the epicentre of innovation, bringing together the brightest minds from academia, industry, and government in Australia's premier innovation precinct.

The five-day festival designed to tackle some of society's most pressing challenges. Participants can encounter ground-breaking solutions that have a significant influence on the future landscape. From the domains of artificial intelligence, where cutting-edge algorithms are reshaping industries, to revolutionary biomedical breakthroughs that hold the potential to transform healthcare, Innovation Week promises to be a showcase of the latest discoveries in Australia's dynamic innovation sector. 

Over the course of five days, Melbourne Connect will host more than 35 events and attendees will have the unique opportunity to connect with a thriving community of researchers, industry experts, startups, students, and creatives who call the precinct home. 

Program highlights include:

Melbourne Connect Oration 
Unlocking Mind Power: From Brain Sensor to Real-Life Applications – Professor Nicholas Opie, expert in neural interfaces unveils how the concept of the Stentrode, a revolutionary brain sensor was translated into clinical trials and its immense potential to change lives.  

Creating Impact Through Health Innovation 
Witness how research innovation and commercialisation can drive significant social impact with expert panellists. 

Chemical Casualties: The Hidden Human Cost of War 
Join keynote speakers from Burn Pits 360 Organisation as they share their expertise on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN) and the evolving challenges of multiple threat scenarios.   

Pearcey Oration 2023

Uncover quantum computing and communication technology with internationally acclaimed computer science researcher, Prof. Michelle Simmons AO. 

Engineering the Future: The Next Frontier

Discover the future of engineering in an evolving technological landscape and find out how engineers are adapting and advancing around the technological changes today and tomorrow in this panel discussion with industry experts. 

The Power of Storytelling in Product Design

Join the Airwallex design team in this masterclass about the narrative power in product design. 

Startup Idea Surgery 

Connect with experts from the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre (MEC) including founders, mentors, and program managers and learn about the successes and challenges of Melbourne's startup and entrepreneurial community. 

For the full program and to register to the events, click here.