BEDA CEO Anthony Ryan said he hoped the agreement would bolster joint working and create opportunities worldwide to attract talent and business to Brisbane.

“We both share a vision to make Brisbane the epicentre of education, innovation, culture, and business in Australia,” Mr Ryan said.

“Together with key partners, we will target major international conferences and events which can attract hundreds of academics and delegates from around the world.

“We’ll draw on our collective networks and knowledge to make sure Brisbane is front of mind when talented students, academics and professionals start planning the next steps in their career journey.

“And leverage relevant insights and experts to identify new industry pathways and provide mentorship and support to local businesses,” said Ryan.

The Memorandum of Understanding supports:

• Collaboration on industry engagement, tourism, trade, major events and conferences
• Access to academic and industry mentors and thought leaders for industry accelerators and events
• Collaboration on campaigns to attract visitors to Brisbane
• Information sharing to support new growth initiatives and business services

The agreement builds on BEDA’s existing relationship with UQ and other local universities, including QUT (Queensland University of Technology) and Griffith University, with similar MOU agreements already in development.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AO said the agreement came at an opportune time as Brisbane prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympics Games.

“As a leading educational and research institution, UQ will play an important role in shaping the legacy of our city for 2032 and beyond,” said Professor Terry.

“This partnership will create opportunities to strengthen Brisbane’s industrial base over the coming years and collaborate with BEDA on industry events and policy roundtables showcasing our city’s talent and capabilities.”

Over the years, UQ has supported several BEDA global growth initiatives, including its Future Food Initiative. UQ’s faculty expertise contributed to both the annual global accelerator program and bootcamp, which has supported more than 400 local food and manufacturing businesses to scale since 2018.

UQ also provided expertise and insights to support BEDA’s MedTech Initiative, including the inaugural global accelerator, which has contributed to the success of 11 of Brisbane’s best and brightest early-stage commercial innovations who launched global funding campaigns at JP Morgan Health Week, San Francisco in January 2023.

UQ experts sit on the judging panel for the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Business Awards and offer guidance to local start-ups and SMEs through the Brisbane Business Hub’s business support program.