Last week, around 90 global participants visited Perth and parts of regional WA as part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP).
An initiative of the MIT Sloan School of Management in Boston, the 2-year program takes a cohort of representatives from a regional centre or city through a series of workshops, practical cases and analysis of their own innovative ecosystems to identify gaps and opportunities for development.
WA has a team in cohort 9 of the MIT REAP program, alongside Hungary, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and 4 US capital cities – Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and St Louis.
Last year, WA won the right to host the third of the 4-workshop series, and associated events.
Team WA’s bid to enter the program was supported by the Western Australian Government, and includes representatives from the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI), City of Perth, Rio Tinto, Woodside, Spacecubed, West Tech Fest, Centre for Entrepreneurial Research and Innovation, Australian Venture Consultants, Malka Foundation and Curtin University.
JTSI also sponsored the MIT Global Innovation Dinner at Frasers Restaurant in Kings Park, which was attended by 230 MIT delegates and stakeholders from the local innovation ecosystem.
The dinner provided an opportunity for local innovators and entrepreneurs to engage and interact with MIT REAP delegates from around the world.
The one-off week-long series of events will help drive the growth of local entrepreneurs as well as the development of programs and initiatives to help attract and grow innovative talent within WA.
The initiative will also further cement WA’s position as a leader in research and the development of new products and technologies assisting the diversification of the economy and job creation.
The Department will continue to work with Team WA to bring key stakeholders together by supporting local initiatives such as the upcoming West Tech Fest.
To find out more about the work the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation is doing to grow and attract local innovators in WA visit the New Industries Fund webpage.
Print this page
