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The 2025 Warren Centre Innovation Lecture - Unlocking Australia’s Innovation Economy: Capital, Capability and Global Vision was presented by Dr Michelle Deaker, Founding & Managing Partner of OneVentures.

Dr Michelle Deaker is the Founding and Managing Partner at OneVentures, where she leads capital raising and serves on the firm’s investment committees. With over 25 years of experience investing in high-growth technology and healthcare companies across Australia and the US, she has led or co-led some of Australia’s most successful VC-backed investments, including unicorns Employment Hero and Vaxxas. Michelle sits on the boards of Employment Hero, Phocas and Buildkite, and is a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Payment Systems Board.

The 2024 Warren Centre Innovation Lecture - Driving innovation in complex systems was presented by David Thodey AO, Chair of Xero and Ramsay Health Care and recent appointee to Chancellor, the ±¬ÁÏÍõ.

David Thodey AO FTSE is a business leader focused on innovation, technology, digital transformation and telecommunications. He is widely recognised for his contributions over 30 years to science, business, public service and the community, with significant experience in driving innovation in start-ups, large companies and public sector bodies. 

David is currently chair of global hospital group Ramsay Health Care, technology company Xero, and of Australia’s largest technology and innovation hub, Tech Central. He is also co-chair of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and of the Climate Leaders Coalition, and Chancellor at the ±¬ÁÏÍõ. Previous roles include serving as chief executive of IBM Australia and New Zealand (1999–2001) and Telstra (2009–15), and as chair of the CSIRO (2015–21).

The 2023 Warren Centre Innovation Lecture - Wireless networks for the digital age, featured ±Ê°ù´Ç´Ú±ð²õ²õ´Ç°ùÌý, ARC Laureate Fellow and Director of the Centre of Excellence for IoT and Telecommunications at the ±¬ÁÏÍõ.

Branka is an ARC Laureate Fellow and Director of the Centre of Excellence for IoT and Telecommunications at the ±¬ÁÏÍõ.

She has made seminal contributions to the fields of coding and wireless communications. Her inventions have been used in satellite communications, cellular networks, and mobile phones.

Branka’s current research work is in the design of future wireless networks and the Internet of Things. In the area of wireless networks, she works on ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and AI-based system design. In the area of the Internet of Things, Vucetic works on providing wireless connectivity for mission-critical applications in energy and healthcare.

Prof. Branka Vucetic is a Fellow of IEEE, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and the Australian Academy of Science.

Ms Katherine Bennell Pegg is the Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency and is part of a team intending to accelerate the transformation and growth of Australia's space sector, by streamlining responsible access to space for Australian industry and researchers across all space priority areas.

In her role, Katherine is responsible for access to space (including space transportation, spaceflight infrastructure) and human spaceflight (including microgravity payloads, applied space medicine and life sciences).

In her talk, Katherine discussed how space can be shaped into the next frontier for Australian innovation.

Mr Andrew Liveris AO, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dow Chemical Company and a former Executive Chairman of DowDuPont.

Andrew, a global business leader and second-generation Greek Australian, rose from his humble background in Darwin to lead a global Fortune 50 corporation. Andrew advised three US Presidents and most recently the Australian Government with his role at the National COVID-19 Commission. 

He has thrice been named the number one "power player" in the global chemical markets by ICIS Chemical Business magazine (2010, 2012 and 2013) and in 2011 bestowed the George E. Davis Medal, Institution of Chemical Engineers by IChemE.

In his talk, Liveris shared his views on innovation in manufacturing research and the future of the Australian manufacturing landscape.

±Ê°ù´Ç´Ú±ð²õ²õ´Ç°ùÌý AM is a biomedical engineering and trailblazer in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering, and a national leader in advancing collaborative research ventures between academics, clinicians, and industry in the field of musculoskeletal and biomaterials research.

Her lab, part of the School of Biomedical Engineering, focuses on the development of novel engineered synthetic materials and 3D printed platforms for regenerative medicine, particularly in the fields of orthopaedics, dental and maxillofacial applications.

In her talk, Professor Zreiqat shared her research journey in the field of biomedical engineering.