G’Day from Down Under and what a good day it was. After brainstorming new proof of concept center models with leaders at The Innovation Center at Australia Technology Park (which is housed in the beautiful old Locomotive Workshops), Global Entrepreneurship Week / Australia shifted to Mousetrap Making Machines.

Now I have your attention and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney has mine. What better way to reach all you guys who don’t think “business” is for you than to invite you to a massive museum of innovation. Packed full of inventions such as the first lawn mower and first Black Box (which was red by the way) you can see, touch and feel the excitement of ideas and innovations. While how to build a better mousetrap machine was the subject of yesterday’s event, leaders there are exploring much bigger plans for 2009 — including a possible hook up with museums of innovation around the world. Now that would get our attention — celebrate all the great strides our entrepreneurs have taken for our planet — and be inspired to be the author of the next big idea for your country.

Congratulations are due to IBM and The New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development and Social Alchemy for putting together an outstanding group of tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. I joined a collection of rock star innovators — including Lars Rasmussen of Google Maps fame — in addressing the group. What I had not expected was the collection of talent in the audience which included a group of dedicated young entrepreneurs with ideas and business plans and timelines for new businesses from fashion to technology. I wish I had brought my checkbook — they kept me captivated well into the evening.

These young entrepreneurs did not represent the lifestyle entrepreneurs I was advised to expect in Sydney. While the World Bank ranks Australia 9th out of 181 economies in ease of doing business, some voiced to me concern that most of the new businesses were more replicative businesses rather that high-growth gazelles. Far from it. These were disruptive types set on churning ideas and new enterprises.

Unleashing such innovation among Australians should help the government meet its goals. Since he was elected last November, popular Labour Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has put climate change and keeping Australia’s export-fueled economic boom at the top of his priorities. Both priorities are dependent on the ability of entrepreneurship to flourish.

Tackling the global warming crisis will require innovations of the kind that only entrepreneurs of the type I met are willing to pursue. Creative, innovative thinking is well-suited to developing viable new energy sources and environmentally friendly products and practices. Moreover, the OECD sees Australia as a model for other countries in efficiency of the energy sector.

A good day for me yesterday and a good week for Australians ahead. This morning as I depart, Australia joins Speednetwork the Globe at First Fleet Park with its beautiful view of the harbor and Opera House. I will be blowing the whistle from the air Matt!

Tags: Australia, Global Entrepreneurship Week, Jonathan Ortmans, Matt Jones, Social Alchemy, Speednetwork the Globe, Sydney, Unleashing Ideas

This entry was posted on Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 4:24 pm and is filed under On the Road, Speednetwork the Globe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.