Innovation, tech and international collaboration sharing the stage in Brisbane

Some of the world’s leading innovators will gather in Brisbane this week, to consider the question: what will the world look like in 50 years if we get things right?

That’s the key question to be asked at the 2025 symposium of the international Council of Academies of Engineering Technological Sciences (CAETS), Generations – hosted in Australia for the first time in 20 years.

The highlight of the four-day event is a full-day symposium on Wednesday 10 September, with high-profile international and Australian speakers including:

• Dr Tsu-Jae King Liu, President, National Academy of Engineering (USA)
• Sir Peter Gluckman, former Chief Science Advisor, New Zealand
• Chandrakant Patel, former Chief Engineer, HP (USA)
• Dr Sue Keay, Director, UNSW AI Institute
• Grace Brown, Co-founder and CEO of robotics company Andromeda

The symposium will be opened by Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, Professor Tony Haymet, Australia’s Chief Scientist, and Dr Katherine Woodthorpe, ATSE President and 2025 chair of CAETS.

Kylie Walker, CEO of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), the host of this year’s event, said that Australia was thrilled to be hosting CAETS 2025 and looked forward to an exciting discussion.

“We’re bringing together some of Australia and the world’s leading innovators and problem-solvers – not just those who are developing the tech but those who can put it to good use,” said Ms Walker.

“When you think about the pace of technological change over the last 50 years, it’s hard to imagine what 2075 will look like.

“But this week is about bringing together the people who are shaping that future. We’ll be hearing about the tech like AI and quantum computing, as well as how we tackle some of the biggest challenges like climate change and food security.

“We’re also thrilled that, true to the Generations theme, we’re bringing together not just those who are the top of their fields but also early-career researchers, who’ll be ushering in the tech and the policy change we’ll see over the next 50 years.

“I can’t wait to hear from some of the world’s top innovators – and ATSE is excited to have the opportunity to bring them together for CAETS 2025.”