On 8 March 2018, our department held the first Biosecurity Innovation Exchange event, bringing innovators together to enhance our national biosecurity system to meet future challenges.
The Exchange brought together staff from our department, the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, industry, other Australian Government agencies including states and territories, and the research sector.
Keynote sessions included addresses from senior executives from our department, the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, and an innovation presentation from special guests - the ‘ORACLE Team USA’ America’s Cup team. Other sessions explored the National Biosecurity Research, Development and Extension priorities.
Find the videos of these sessions on our YouTube channel.
Following the Exchange, our department committed to progressing four key initiatives including gamification and citizen science, next generation sequencing, bionic technologies and sensors, and a biosecurity innovation e-newsletter.
Gamification and citizen science
In May and June 2018, we facilitated two targeted workshops to explore the use of gamification and citizen science to enhance our national biosecurity system.
The workshops focussed on the gamification of citizen science to enable community participation in the identification and reporting of biosecurity pest and disease threats, and gamification for staff learning.
Next generation sequencing
On 5 July 2018, we facilitated a next generation sequencing workshop with the Director of the Plant Innovation Centre at the Post Entry Quarantine facility. The workshop explored what Next Generation Sequencing offers the department and industry in managing biosecurity risk.
Next generation sequencing could significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness of detecting exotic viruses in imported plants through a single test. We have continued to progress the initiative and a detailed roadmap has been developed to guide its roll out.
Bionics technologies and sensors
Bionics technologies and sensors are the use of analytical devices which detect a stimulus and provide information, e.g. electronic nose technology, to improve pest, disease and weed surveillance, detection and diagnostics.
We will be hosting a workshop to investigate bionics technologies and sensors in 2019.
The Seed
Following the Exchange, we launched an interactive online biosecurity innovation hub and e-newsletter called The Seed.
The Seed, a key outcome of the Exchange, features stories about exciting initiatives and profiles of people who are making great strides in innovation.
The Seed has updates on our progress on other key themes emerging from the Exchange, including gamification, citizen science and next generation sequencing.
The Seed also provides a space for the broader biosecurity innovation community to comment, collaborate and ‘sprout’ ideas to help our biosecurity system work smarter, not harder.
Stay up to date!
Subscribe to our biosecurity innovation hub, The Seed, to stay up to date with all things biosecurity innovation.