Six leading researchers and innovators will receive up to $5,000 each to attend major international conferences in their fields, boosting Brisbane’s profile as a future host city, while working with Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) to help secure these events for the city. 

Now in its seventh year, the program supports local professionals and researchers to build global networks and advocate for Brisbane, strengthening the city’s reputation as a hub for innovation, research and industry leadership. 

The 2026 cohort reflects the breadth of Brisbane’s expertise across critical and fast-growing sectors, including sustainable food production, bioengineering, medical technology, advanced physics and cancer research.

 Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the program helped connect local expertise with global opportunities. 

“Congratulations to this year’s Trailblazers who will represent Brisbane internationally, forging global connections and drawing world-class business events to our city,” Cr Schrinner said. 

“By supporting our local leaders to build global connections, we’re unlocking new pathways for investment, collaboration and jobs across industries. 

“This program elevates Brisbane on the global stage, strengthens our competitive edge and delivers real, lasting economic value in our own backyard.” 

BEDA CEO Anthony Ryan said the Trailblazer program played a key role in attracting events aligned with Brisbane’s priority industries. 

“Business events are a powerful platform to showcase Brisbane’s expertise and connect our local industries with global decision-makers,” Mr Ryan said. 

“By empowering our researchers and professionals to advocate for Brisbane internationally, we’re strengthening our pipeline of future conferences and reinforcing the city’s reputation as a destination for innovation and ideas. 

“Each event secured brings new knowledge, investment and opportunity into the region, creating long-term value for our economy – and we have an enviable infrastructure pipeline that can catalyse these opportunities.” 

The 2026 Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant recipients are:

• Dr Stanley Chen, Research Project Manager – Agrifutures Consortium at The University of Queensland’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, advancing sustainable poultry production and food security.
• Dr Birgitta Ebert, Senior Research Fellow at The University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, developing environmentally sustainable “microbial factories” to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Dr Michelle Hill, Founder and CEO of Proseek Bio, translating proteomics research into real-world diagnostics to improve women’s health outcomes.
• Dr Zeinab Khalil, ARC Future Fellow at The University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, leading global bioeconomy initiatives and developing new antimicrobial solutions.
• Dr Mickael Mounaix, Westpac Fellow at The University of Queensland, pioneering technologies to control light for advanced communications and medical imaging.
• Dr Debottam Sinha, Research Fellow at the University of Queensland’s Frazer Institute, focusing on improving treatments for aggressive cancers through immunological research.

Each recipient will attend an international conference between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, helping to build global partnerships and support future bids to bring these events to Brisbane.