The hunt is on for ideas that make a difference, with The Australian Innovation Challenge awards open for entries from professionals, young people and backyard inventors.

Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane is encouraging individuals and teams of scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists and educators, as well as students and hobbyists, to enter the national innovation showcase before entries close on 7 September.

“These awards are an important platform to support, celebrate and promote Australian ingenuity and to help drive ideas for commercialisation,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Innovation is critical to our success as a nation—it helps to build our competitive strength and keep pace in a rapidly evolving global economy.

“It is important we harness our innovative thinking and innovative thinking to boost Australia’s productivity and open up our goods and services to the global marketplace.”

The Australian Government has supported the challenge each year since its launch in 2011, complementing other programmes designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

For example, the Entrepreneurs’ Programme helps businesses make connections to commercialise new ideas, products, processes and services.

“A number of previous winners of the challenge have also received Government support to help them progress their ideas and products towards commercialisation or adoption in industry.”

The awards include five professional categories: environment, agriculture and food; minerals and energy; health; manufacturing, construction and infrastructure; and education and community services. Backyard inventors and young innovators each have their own, open-ended categories.

When the awards are announced in November, each category winner will receive a cash prize to progress their innovation, and an additional cash prize will go to an overall winner across the professional categories.

“The Australian Government is proud to again support this showcase of great Australian innovations, and I am looking forward to seeing the wonderful new ideas that will emerge as a result,” Mr Macfarlane said.

 For more information about The Australian Innovation Challenge, visit http://www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge. or https://exportcouncil.kontribune.com/articles/6463?vid=cfc7b0f71d74d547c900f9291bec95d7a252a41c