Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk


Monday, July 13, 2015

$180 million Advance Queensland to create jobs of the future


The Palaszczuk Government will invest $180 million in the Advance Queensland program, a comprehensive suite of reforms that will create jobs now, and jobs for the future.
The Premier said Advance Queensland is at the core of her Government’s first Budget because it needs to be at the core of Queensland’s economic agenda.
“Advance Queensland will help make our state a place where industry, universities and government work together to take great ideas, turn them into investment-ready proposals, attract that investment, and create jobs,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“My Government knows that we must look beyond our traditional strengths, as important as they are, and help create the new industries that in turn create new jobs.
“Thanks to previous Labor Governments, Queensland has a world-renowned research base.
“But while we have many promising ideas, we need to ramp-up our capacity to turn those ideas into investment-ready business proposals.
“Advance Queensland will help us solve global challenges, seize opportunities in growing markets, fight for investment dollars, and create the jobs of the future.
“It could lead to a whole new approach to our education system, while also positioning the state as an attractive investment destination with a strong innovation and entrepreneurial culture.
“The rest of the world is looking towards innovation and research for the next wave of opportunities.
“I don’t want Queensland to merely be a part of the pack, I want us to lead it.”
Ms Palaszczuk said key elements of Advance Queensland included three major new partnerships, including a partnership between QUT and Johnson and Johnson, the world’s biggest pharmaceutical company, as well as a future schools review into coding and computer science in schools, and a major focus on commercialisation, encouraging a new wave of Queensland startups, and Labor’s Business Development Fund.
“Queensland can attract the world’s biggest companies to our shores, but we should also be trying to create major companies of our own.

“Innovation jobs flow through to the rest of the economy, be they rural jobs, transport jobs, construction jobs, or processing jobs.
“By making innovation and knowledge-based industries a key focus of this Government, we are intent of delivering a new era of opportunity for Queenslanders.”

Advance Queensland overview:
A $50 million Advance Queensland Best and Brightest Fund, which will develop, attract and retain world-class talent - both scientific and entrepreneurial;
  • Fellowships and Scholarships to strengthen our research base
  • Global Partnership Awards, allowing outstanding Qld talent to gain experience with major universities or companies overseas
  • Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, allowing Qld SME’s to have postgraduate students contribute to their businesseso
  • Future Schools review, expanding STEM, coding, computer science and robotics in schoola
A $46 million Advance Queensland Future Jobs Strategy, which will open the door to new industry/research collaborations, tackle the big innovation challenges, focus on translation, and deliver 10 year roadmaps for industries with global growth potential;
  • Three major partnerships designed to commercialise our biggest and best discoveries: UQ and Emory University (Atlanta, US), Siemens and Translational Research Institute, and Johnson and Johnson and QUT
  • Innovations Challenge, incentivising researchers and entrepreneurs to tackle the world’s biggest challenges
  • 10 year roadmaps for emerging industries
A $76 million Business Investment Attraction package, which will encourage a new wave of Queensland startups, support proof-of-concept projects, and attract co-investment through the Business Development Fund.
  • Startups Queensland, to encourage a new wave of startup businesses
  • Queensland Commercialisation Program, encouraging proof of concept discoveries
  • Business Development Fund, co-investment in investment ready businesses
And $8 million will be set aside to give us flexibility to respond as new opportunities arise, especially as we develop roadmaps with industry partners