Beyond its automotive heritage, Fishermans Bend continues to be a centre of excellence for engineering - with strong networks continuing around mobility. The recent Excellence Awards of the Society of Mobility Engineers Australasia (SME-A) put a spotlight on the mobility focused innovative community, past, present and emerging.

Last week the FB IDEAs Hub was filled with momentum when Boomerang Labs, the Victorian Cleantech Cluster and FB IDEAs with support of the City of Melbourne invited to a joint workshop session and network mixer. Engaged discussions explored how Victoria can lead the Circular Economy at scale, supporting innovation, strengthening local value chains and keeping resources and value in the local economy - and waste out of landfill.

Innovators working in uncertain and rapidly evolving environments encounter constant unknowns. Philip Oefner, founder of PCO engineering, presented how systems engineering principles applied from the very beginning of product development help de-risk the process and minimise the cost of change.

A pop-up photo studio landed last week at the FB IDEAs Hub. The collaboration with Rob Coupe from Rachael Michelle brought flashing lights and smiling eyes with it.

This is what can happen in an innovation space: Startups preventing downtime of critical equipment through hands-on collaboration.

The lunch & learn with CRINNAC took participants along the way of a structured product development process - from concept to creation.

Good news for founders & innovators: There is a way to turn research & development activities into cash or tax savings - Noah Connect shared fundamentals of the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI), highlighting eligibility, practical considerations and how it can support innovation.

An emerging funding platform concept sparked engaged discussion on how technology, networks and structured business cases can help connect projects with the right funding partners.

The lunch & learn with HYPSO explained who is who of federal government agencies and entities, where contract opportunities arise, what to be prepared for - and highlighted the Commonwealth’s equivalent of a cheat sheet.

Medtech innovators came together to join in on Octive Consulting’s lunch & learn session on how to de-risk medtch using the GAITS framework.

Farmers2Founders joined FB IDEAs and invited innovators and entrepreneurs to explore AgTech opportunities on a day full of knowledge exchange and networking.

Celebrating business success with Hub member Upsol - Recent deployments proving the concept of running a social enterprise as a business!

Looking back at a full year in the FB IDEAs Hub - filled with innovation, collaboration and a growing community.

Dr. Yakov Elgart from ESI presented the FB IDEAs supported study on thermal performance improvements in existing buildings. Modelling retrofitted window inserts, ESI showed significant reductions in heat loss and energy use.

Systems thinking and functional digital twins not only for hybrid and prototype electric vehicles were presented by Hub member PCO engineering in a captivating lunch & learn session - with a view of how they can be relevant and scaled for startups.

Materials and technology choices can make all the difference when moving from proof-of-concept to manufacturing. Hub member Andrew Jack provided critical insights into the process - setting startups up for success in physical products development.

Studio MK presented how non-typical stakeholders can be given a voice in the planning of public spaces, exploring opportunities and challenges on the example of two city-shaping projects