BCEC on Grey Street ©South Bank Corporation The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has partnered with Life Sciences Queensland (LSQ) to establish a three-year legacy bursary aimed at supporting mid-career researchers working across health, biomedical and agritech bio-innovation.
Positioned as a 30th birthday initiative, the bursary is designed to strengthen collaboration between research and industry, helping accelerate the commercial uptake of life sciences innovation in Queensland and nationally.
The bursary sits within BCEC’s Convention Advocates Partnership, a by-invitation network of senior international leaders who support conference attraction and knowledge-led legacies for Brisbane. Since 2010, the Advocates’ efforts have helped secure 163 conferences, generating an estimated $358 million in economic impact.
“For three decades, BCEC has partnered with science leaders to showcase Queensland’s innovation to the world,” said Kym Guesdon, BCEC General Manager. “This 30th birthday initiative honours that legacy by investing in future talent and strengthening the connections between research and industry that drive global impact.”
Developed in consultation with Convention Advocates – including Professor Trent Munro, Chair of LSQ – the bursary reflects LSQ’s role in connecting industry, government and research organisations across the state’s life sciences ecosystem.
“BCEC fundamentally understands how research innovation is transferred, and it’s between people, and usually at specific technical conferences,” Munro said.
Incoming LSQ Chair Professor Frank Gannon added: “It reflects Queensland’s maturity in cross-disciplinary and sectoral collaboration to accelerate innovation transfer in bio innovation.”