Michael Briers AO

We have had a busy 2024 working towards how we can help businesses and industries simply and easily navigate ESG, saving time and $$ and delivering on what customers, markets and law makers require. Read on for more…. Toby Kline Bunty Agrawal ☁ (He/Him) Robert Carter Annabel Mugford Anna Hooper Mardi Longbottom Julian Marchant George Georgiadis Michael Scotton Nicole Gschwind Aubrey Thomas Laura Herrero #ESG, #sustainability #sustainablegrowth #marketaccess

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Innovation from the Board Room One significant challenge Australian companies face is the difficulty in investing in innovation. In his book Invention to Innovation, Larry Marshall outlines the challenges traditional boards can cause. There is a fundamental disconnect between company boards and entrepreneurs. Boards often exhibit a risk-averse nature, valuing established systems and processes, whereas entrepreneurs are geared toward improvement and innovative approaches. This disparity can create conflicts, particularly when clear governance principles are not set from the early stages. Typically, boards demand comprehensive business plans with defined KPIs, metrics, and milestones to approve investments. However, startups and innovative ventures rely more on validating their concepts through lean and agile methodologies. This approach is often misunderstood by larger, more traditional companies. The conservative stance of boards can be a barrier to investing in emerging markets or technologies like hydrogen fuel, which lack extensive market data and traditional investment metrics such as net present value (NPV). To truly harness innovation, boards must shift their mindset and play a more active role in understanding the nuances of innovative ventures. This includes being open to new methodologies, acknowledging the uncertainties inherent in pioneering markets, and fostering a culture that supports continuous improvement and agility. By aligning more closely with entrepreneurial efforts, boards can drive meaningful innovation and ensure sustainable growth within their organisations. What role does your board play in promoting innovative endeavours? #healthcareinnovated #innovation

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I will be speaking at the Women in AI Australia Summit 2024, an event dedicated to exploring cutting-edge #AI technologies and their transformative potential. My topic will be "The Green Algorithm: #DigitalTwins and #GenerativeAI Reshaping #Sustainability" I will delve into the role of #digitaltwins and #GenAI in driving #sustainable development. As dynamic models updated with live data, digital twins allow for real-time monitoring and #predictiveanalytics across various sectors, enhancing resource management and reducing environmental impacts. We will explore case studies demonstrating their efficacy across multiple domains highlighting the critical balance between technological advancement and ethical considerations. 📆 Date: 27-28 June 2024 🕘 Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 📍 Location: Microsoft Reactor Sydney, lvl 10/11 York St, Sydney NSW 2000 To give you a short preview of my talk, here are several slides I want to share. Secure your slot here: https://lnkd.in/gMmq2PyF Looking forward to seeing many of you there! 🌐💡 #WomenInAI #Sustainability #DigitalTwins #GenerativeAI #AIForGood

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📣 Queenslanders, as caretaker period kicks off, you have a new grant program with very attracting funding on offer!   ⚡ SEQ Innovation Economy Fund ⚡   The SEQ Innovation Economy Fund is part of the $1.8 billion SEQ partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Council of Mayors (SEQ).   💡 High level details below, but please note there are some complexities regarding project location. Please get in touch to discuss!   Funding Available: - Tier 1 Minor Capital Projects - $1 million to $5 million matched funding - Tier 2 Major Capital Projects - $5 million to $25 million matched funding   Eligible Projects: - New builds, extensions, and refurbishments - Acquisition and installation of plant and equipment - Projects must be located within the eligible local government areas and contribute to the innovation precinct’s capability to increase innovation activity and support priority industries or growth sectors   Innovation Priority Investment Areas: - Priority Industries: Defence and aerospace, energy transformation, agriculture and food processing innovation, biomedical, and manufacturing across all sectors. - Innovation Growth Sectors: Autonomous systems, robotics and artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology (including synthetic biology and mRNA technologies), quantum technologies, cybertechnology, space industries, AgTech, sustainable energy solutions, and more.   Timing: Open now, closes 22 Nov 2024.   More information: https://lnkd.in/gyjgS7m8

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Uncertain pathways demand a guide with a plan. I was reading an Australian Institute of Company Directors article on dealing with climate governance. A topic worth understanding and an article worth reading. https://lnkd.in/gBRptDPz When reading through the pain points it is clear some proven business principles are needed to help solve the challenges businesses now face. Move from risk to opportunity. If everyone views an issue as risk then they will miss the opportunity. Ask the question “how can this be core to my growth strategy?’. For example sustainability should be viewed as a way to improve top and bottom line, not just something that sits on a risk register and is seen as cost of doing business. There's plenty of research that proves it (Bain & Company's work comes to mind.) Early movers win more. Being proactive with challenges, especially those that are market wide can lead to better opportunity to own the space and be a leader. Brand wins. Those who wait will get lost in the wash. Don’t be duplicitous and don’t bury your head. Change is happening whether we like it or not, so be clear and honest on where you are and how you will engage. And ignoring change does not work to quote Churchill “If we do not take change by the hand, it will take us by the throat.” In the case of all things including climate – lying and greenwashing will damage your brand and hit you in the wallet. Tone from the top. Leaders must lead and abdicating responsibility for taking holistic organisational wide action to change equals failure. Lead it. Own it. Don’t mess around on the edges and get involved. Get a guide with a plan. Data is critical to understand current state and how to get to future state. Get a guide for your data because in most cases organisations cannot do it themselves. If we are using spreadsheets to manage we need help. And if we need guides for the short term to move us forward then get a guide with a plan. Work with experts who can plot your path and guide you. And then upskill yourself. At Toustone we set up an Advisory Board to guide our sustainability plan, as we see Sustainability as a growth opportunity rather than a hurdle. What is your organisation doing to navigate climate governance? Craig Lefoe Jo Willoughby Damon Pezaro Jamie Azzopardi #leadership, #climategovernance, #sustainability

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✨ Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) grants, valued at up to $120,000 each, are now available ✨ The grants are designed to help eligible social enterprises better demonstrate and grow their social impact. They are available to eligible social enterprises, including Indigenous-owned or controlled organisations with a defined social benefit, working to support Australians experiencing entrenched disadvantage. They are for social enterprises to purchase business and impact capability-building services, such as financial services, evaluation and impact measurement, business consulting and legal advice.  The SEDI Grants program will run through to June 2026. There will be rolling grant rounds, so you can submit anytime. Grants will be awarded based on merit, not on the order of application.   SEDI Grants are administered by Impact Investing Australia and funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS). For details and to submit an expression of interest go to: https://lnkd.in/eAxj6KqC #SEDIGrants #socialenterprise #impactinvesting #grants #fundingopportunities

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In an increasingly sophisticated and digital-centric landscape, how can public sector organisations leverage the cloud to adapt, innovate, and meet the evolving demands of their constituents?    Join me and leaders across state and local government, and higher education and research, at AWS IMAGINE in Brisbane. I will be discussing the challenges of delivering digital transformation in State and Local Government. In particular the how to manage legacy system modernisation and deliver digital innovation, like AI, in parallel.   Learn more about the event and register via the link below: Brisbane (Friday, 24 May) - https://lnkd.in/gPJicuZb Anthony Dow, Kim Jackson, Troy Bell, Mitch Miller, gwi.digital, Adam Beck, Ian Hatton, Danielle Hill, Emma Davidson, Luke Hillier, Neil Glentworth

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It's been a real privilege contributing with an awesome group of Māori practitioners to Amazon's Māori Data Lens on their Well Architected Framework. Not only was the work interesting, but the people were choice. Renata Hakiwai, Ngapera Riley, Nikora Ngaropo, Lee Timutimu, Wade Reweti, and Eli Pohio. E kore e mutu ngā mihi. My initial thought back last year was, 'I'm no cloud architect'. But this kaupapa reminded that here and now, anything I can see or access on my phone, TV or laptop, is in the cloud: from my whanau photos, to my contacts list, trust and marae committee minutes and accounts, my Kindle versions of Ngā Moteatea, pdfs of Matariki karakia, posts on FB about whakapapa and pūrākau, my work via Office 365, and even special whānau videos on Youtube. Moreover, Amazon seemed to share our interest in making sure our stuff is secure, private and also accessible when we need it. I knew too that Amazon is a big Taniwha, and it does not think, speak or understand us. But as my Dad always said, 'the kumara aren't going to peel themselves!' In other words, if you want to make a change, roll your sleeves up and get stuck in! So, I said yes! To be fair, the work was challenging. This is a technical guide for technical stuff. Moreover, the group did not suffer from groupthink. Yet we still we managed to craft a general te ao Māori framework tailored to address the unique challenges and opportunities Māori data faces in the cloud. The end is a small step towards responsibly managing Māori data in the cloud. There is some advice about thinking, and percieving, as well as advice about the importance of relationships. Not rocket science, but definitely marae science - the 1000 cups of tea! While the road ahead is long, I am hopeful about the positive impact te ao Māori can have technology and how it is developed. This is our attempt to follow the path of Tane and grab the strong vine: Kia mau ki te aka matua, kei mau ki te aka taepa! Finally, a big mihi to Craig and Judith at Amazon for their dedication and engagement. Lets be honest, Amazon is a huge organisation and they both had to work through layers of people to pitch the whole idea, to land it, and get final approval. I know that their work with Maurea Consulting and the amazing Precious Clark clearly inspired them to deep dive in to this. Otirā Craig kōrua ko Judith, ngā mihi nui! https://lnkd.in/g72zzqvd #MaoriDataSovereignty #CloudTechnology #Collaboration

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Inertia reigns supreme in Parliament House. Here’s how we can break out of it. 👇 Excited to launch our new suite of Blueprint Institute reports: Beyond Inertia – Budget Blueprint 2024. Our 3 Budget Blueprint reports outline immediate fiscal priorities for tax, climate, and innovation. 💰 'Financing our future' explores present challenges facing the Australian economy and addresses our need for substantive, wholesale tax reform. Read: https://lnkd.in/gGEmMHZ9 🌏 'Protecting our future' outlines the immediate climate and energy priorities for a net-zero and nature-positive future at both the systemic level and the community level. Read: https://lnkd.in/gmmPguh5 🧬 'Invigorating our future' focuses on the research and investment sectors to revitalise Australia’s productivity, dynamism and competitiveness on the world stage. Read: https://lnkd.in/gqygyNFf 🏭 In tonight's Budget, a lot of focus will be on Labor's Future Made in Australia Act as the Government looks to boost our sovereign industrial capability and nurture home-grown technologies. Great to contribute to the debate in the AFR today: https://lnkd.in/gxX5Z-VD Special thanks to all the experts who contributed through consultation, including Brian P. Schmidt AC, Chris Fleming, and Jessy Wu, and amazing art direction from Charlie Murray and Cameron Tidy. Liana Downey Lauren Williams Claire Poulton Sophie Black #budget #tax #climate #innovation #auspol

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‘… develop novel AI-powered tools … that can quickly and precisely identify and assess the impact of open source vulnerabilities on Australian CI operators’ software supply chains. ‘Similarly, CSIRO and Google will collaborate on designing a secure framework that gives Australian CI operators clear guidance … The framework will adapt and extend [SLSA] … to define multiple levels of software supply chain maturity as well as steps to achieve each one’. OMG the regulatory side of this is a big part of my thesis - OSS risk management by CNI people! h/t Adam T. https://lnkd.in/g7FrGXY3

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In our recent Lunch and Learn, Alex Young MAICD Young, Head of Innovation at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, shares his experiences in building generative AI PoCs. What metrics does he focus on when evaluating the success of projects? The DVF framework (Desirability, Viability, Feasibility). A traditional design and innovation concept that ultimately asks, does it solve the problem in the business? Hear more from Alex Young, in our recording of - Make The Gen AI Benefits Outweigh The Risks - where he shares his experiences in building POCs, and explains it needs to fundamentally solve a problem. Save and watch for your next PoC development: https://zurl.co/paWn #PoC #generativeAI #DVF #genAI

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VIDEO INTERVIEW: Tech Femme Fusion Co-Founder Olga Bubnova & Dr Nataliya Ilyushina at Tech in Gov 24 At Tech in Gov Expo 2024, in Canberra, I caught up with Olga Bubnova and Dr Nataliya Ilyushina to learn about their new start-up, Tech Femme Fusion, to discover what they do and how they help businesses take advantage of the superpowers that AI delivers! The video interview is below - here's an AI generated summary of our discussion: • AI and Automation for Business Efficiency Tech Femme Fusion helps businesses unleash the power of AI by identifying small inefficiencies and streamlining them, leading to cost savings and improved efficiency. • Training and Information Provision Tech Femme Fusion provides training and information for both staff and management to help them understand and implement AI and automation technologies. • Identifying Gaps for AI Implementation Tech Femme Fusion assists small businesses in identifying areas where AI and automation can be used, allowing them to focus more on strategy rather than manual tasks. • Challenges and Questions from Businesses Businesses often lack understanding of what AI can do and how it can be used efficiently. Tech Femme Fusion addresses this by analyzing workflows and providing tailored solutions. • Linking Business Processes Tech Femme Fusion showcases how linking data and marketing can streamline processes, effectively merging departments for better efficiency. • Webinars and In-Person Seminars Tech Femme Fusion has held successful webinars and plans to continue with them, along with organizing in-person seminars to engage more with businesses. • Customized Workshops and Training Tech Femme Fusion offers customized workshops and training sessions for businesses to help them implement AI tools and automation tailored to their specific needs. • Support for Women in Tech Tech Femme Fusion advocates for women in tech, supporting their involvement and growth in the industry. • Support for Small Businesses Tech Femme Fusion supports small businesses in Australia by providing tech solutions that cater to their needs. • Empowering Businesses Tech Femme Fusion aims to empower businesses through continuous education, training, and exploration of new technologies. Conclusion Tech Femme Fusion empowers businesses by identifying inefficiencies, providing tailored AI solutions, and offering continuous education and support, especially for small businesses and women in tech - but for any business or organisation, large, small, and anywhere in between.

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In this week's episode of the podcast we hear from James Bradley, former CTO of Diffuse Energy. Diffuse was a micro-wind turbine business that Bradley and co-founder Dr Joss Kesby decided to end this year. A big thanks to James for sharing their story. Imho we don't do enough to acknowledge that moving technology from lab to market is a very difficult thing to do and it doesn't always work. It's still important that folks are brave enough to try. This episode is proudly brought to you by ECI Software Solutions. Episode guide 1:24 – Career shift. Big box retail then mature age engineering student at age 32. 3:13 – Meeting Joss and being involved with his work in the second half of Joss’s PhD. 3:52 – A concept for a very small turbine and forming a team to explore commercialisation of this via CSIRO ON. 5:40 – A diffuser-augmented turbine and “unravelling the horrendous mathematics” involved in design and simulation. 7:40 – Early applications involving luxury yachts. 8:35 – Changing focus to telecommunications tower applications. 9:30 – An ARENA-backed, multi-site project focussed on telco towers, why they thought it was needed, and some of the difficulties involved. 11:20 – Having to design a controller that would handle difficult weather events. Then COVID happened in 2020 and made the project move very slowly. 13:03 – The trial and the results gathered. Developing a tool for more accurately predicting wind speed on sites. 15:10 – “Yes, wind turbines can work on remote sites. Probably not as many as you’d hope for. They’ve got to be a pretty good site to make sense. But also we came up with a way of validating sites… pretty accurately”. 15:55 – The great global semiconductor shortage of the early 2020s and why there was no possibility of building what’s needed here. 17:05 – The type of MOSFET products used in their controllers were “unicorns”, which made them hard to replace when the supply chain broke. 23:04 – The lessons in this that are worth sharing, including in electronics design. 24:10 – We are probably not great at accepting the fact that commercialising scientific breakthroughs isn’t always going to be a success. 25:24 – Fundamental research is important, and its contribution to progress won’t be immediately apparent. 26:50 – The two co-founders’ friendship has survived the end of the business. “We’ll have a wake for Diffuse Energy soon.” 27:55 – Yes, he would do another startup. There isn’t the variety or the same chance of building “the world’s best something” in a big, established company. 28:50 – Current work with University of Newcastle on accelerator and pre-accelerator programs, which are available to regional businesses as well as spinouts. 30:17 – Is there a chance the invention might be used at a different business?

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📢 GRANT ALERT | Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) grants now available Do you know a social enterprise looking to grow their impact? Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) capability building grants, valued at up to $120,000 each, are available to eligible social enterprises, including Indigenous owned or controlled organisations with a defined social benefit, working to support Australians experiencing entrenched disadvantage. Grant funds are to be used to purchase business and impact capability building services provided by intermediaries, such as financial services, evaluation and impact measurement, business consulting and legal advice. The SEDI Grants program will run through to June 2026. There will be rolling grant rounds, ensuring ample time for submissions by eligible social enterprises. Grants will be awarded based on the merit of the enterprises/projects, not on the order of application.   SEDI Grants are administered by Impact Investing Australia and funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. For details and to submit an expression of interest go to: https://lnkd.in/eAxj6KqC   #SEDIGrants #SocialEnterprise #ImpactInvesting #Grants #FundingOpportunities

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AFRCAN UNION Building on the AU AI Conceptual Framework, the Strategy will place emphasis on building the capabilities of AU Member States in AI skills, research and development, data availability, infrastructure, governance and private sector-led innovation, as well as ensuring regional and international cooperation. https://lnkd.in/dpxeAp9s

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Tomorrow I’m attending the AICD Climate Governance Forum 2024, held in Sydney. There are several great speakers and presentations lined up and it looks like the forum will build on the many messages and principles outlined at the 2024 Australian Governance Summit, held in March, where the theme was ‘At the forefront’. As I reflect on the past conference and think about the upcoming forum, two points former AICD Chair John Atkin made in his opening address back in March remain relevant as we move towards the final quarter of 2024: ·      At the forefront means, you are at the cutting edge, leading and showing the way. Exploring, innovating and trying new ways. Being at the forefront is about anticipating change in your environment and tackling the big challenges. ·      Contemporary governance is an approach to governance that emphasises transparency, accountability and stakeholder engagement. We need to be alive to the changes that are occurring in the world around us and evolve our governance practices as our context changes. There is no doubt the challenge of climate change will require sustained thinking and significant action by a broad range of players. This week the Climate Change Forum will demonstrate how many leaders across corporate Australia are embracing a collective problem and leaning into the conversation. Australian Institute of Company Directors’s guidelines for setting climate targets: https://lnkd.in/gRPfktVb   #AICDclimategovernanceforum #climategovernance #directorduties

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Powered by the Menzies Foundation in partnership with Brightlight and Onlmpact, this three-part webinar series provides looks at transforming investment portfolios to achieve greater social and environmental impact. Part 2 is now up … as is Part 1 if you missed it. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eriFYu39

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"How governments respond to citizens’ requests, especially if they are denied, has a significant influence on whether citizens continue to participate in crowdsourcing and therefore in the co-creation of public infrastructure and services towards developing sustainable cities and communities." Worth a read. Transparency, even in denial, can lead to a longer term relationships and therefore trust in continued participation. Something I know all government want. https://lnkd.in/gSGHei7k #communityengagement #digitalengagement #civictech

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NDIA’s approach to managing intra-plan inflation highlights a potential systemic culture issue within the organization, where financial control & bureaucratic oversight may be prioritized over the needs & rights of participants. This raises the possibility that other critical decisions & processes within NDIS are being handled similarly, without transparency or proper participant input. Let’s dive into some deeper implications of this culture issue, considering how this approach could extend across multiple areas of NDIS. 1. Culture of Financial Control Over Participant-Centered Support Cost over Care: Focus on intra-plan inflation reflects a broader organizational culture that may prioritize controlling costs over providing person-centered care. This culture could extend to other areas, such as how plans are assessed, how funding decisions are made, and how participants are supported. NDIS was meant to empower people with disabilities, but this culture may be eroding participant autonomy & reducing access to necessary supports in the name of cost efficiency. Disregard for Fluctuating Needs: By rigidly focusing on budget adherence & penalizing overutilization, NDIA risks ignoring the reality that disability support needs are dynamic and individualized. This culture could foster a lack of flexibility in other critical areas, such as plan reviews, appeals, and support coordination. The organization might be discounting participant experiences or viewing them through a lens of financial risk, rather than focusing on long-term well-being and inclusion. 2. A Paternalistic Approach to Managing Participants Assumed Participant Misuse: A recurring theme in the study is that participants are seen as potentially "misusing" or "overutilizing" their plans, yet this assumption appears to be driven by administrative data rather than participant realities. This paternalistic attitude reflects a top-down approach, where participants are seen as needing oversight and control rather than empowerment and support. This mindset could permeate other processes, like how complaints are handled, how internal reviews are conducted, & how participants are engaged in decision-making about their own supports. Overregulation & Surveillance: Emphasis on monitoring participant spending without considering the system’s failures (e.g., inadequate funding, bureaucratic delays) suggests that participants are subject to increasing levels of surveillance and scrutiny. This culture of overregulation could result in a loss of trust between NDIA and participants, where participants feel like they are being watched & controlled rather than supported to meet their goals. Mark Sweeney Marie J. Samantha Connor Peter Gregory Veronica Stephan-Miller Byron Stol Graham Taylor Cat Walker Katy Gagliardi Uli Cartwright Loma Naser Annette A. Tara Hannon Jarrad Hills Jarrod Sandell-Hay Natalie Wade Greg Standen Marketing Tactician to NDIS Providers Brendon Grail Mark Toomey

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