Remarks at innovationXchange National Science Week Women in Science, Technology and Innovation event

JULIE BISHOP: Itis an absolute delight to be here to mark National Science Week. I congratulateDFAT and Frances Adamson and Claire Walsh for hosting the function here at theinnovationXchange with Sarah Pearson so that we can focus on the issue ofscience, technology and innovation right here in the innovationXchange.

There is alot of focus on the under representation of women in STEM and related areas,but isn't it interesting that here I am as Australia's first female ForeignMinister, acknowledging Australia's first female Secretary of Department ofForeign Affairs and Trade, and her female Deputy Secretary and the second,female Chief of the innovationXchange, surrounded by the most extraordinary group offemale scientists in Michelle, Elanor, Dharmica and Cathy - and you have to askyourself, is there really a problem?

(Laughter)

We are hereto celebrate Australian science and technology. Australian scientists arerenowned for being creative, innovative, courageous, and adaptive and theythink laterally. It is extraordinary when you consider some of the innovationsthat have been attributed to Australians in medical research - ultrasound,penicillin of course. We have been involved in ground-breaking work on the bionicear. My good friend, Dr Barry Marshall, won a Nobel Prize for his breakthroughtreatment for stomach ulcers with the bacteria helicobacter pylori. We havealso done ground-breaking work in treatment of bipolar disorder, a whole rangeof medical and scientific research and of course, CSIRO's great breakthroughwith wifi which is just an extraordinary contribution to the way we live. AsSarah said, technology is disrupting the way we live, the way we work, the waywe engage, every aspect of our lives. We acknowledge this in our Foreign PolicyWhite Paper but this is not a challenge, but an opportunity.

Today we aregoing to talk about science, technology, innovation, how Australia can continueto contribute, how we can attract more women and girls into the relevantsubjects, the STEM subjects that are the basis of our work and how we can bringwhat we do to the global stage.

I amdelighted that Michelle Simmons is here because it really does send a verypowerful message when the 2018 Australian of the Year is a scientists, a femaleand is in a new area of quantum physics and the work that Michelle will bedoing in that regard is so exciting, absolutely ground-breaking.

The innovationXchangeis an idea we came up with in about 2014, so it is over three and a half yearsold. I'd been concerned by the fact that we were investing a lot of foreign aidinto countries in our region, yet it would appear that they were goingbackwards in some of the most fundamental socio-economic areas. How could thatbe?

So, itclearly wasn't about money, because the money was being invested. What were wedoing wrong? Well, in fact, we just weren't being creative and innovativeenough. We weren't thinking outside the square. We were delivering aid as we'dalways delivered aid. We were doing things as they had always been done. So, wethought, well, what if we set aside some money, got a blank piece of paper andsaid: if we could start all over again, think of some intractable developmentissues, what would you do differently to try to resolve it? Take some risks,think creatively, be courageous - and, the innovationXchange was born. We setaside the money, we put some of our best and brightest in the innovationXchange.We came up with a series of problems and we said, okay, how would you solve it?The innovationXchange, being innovative, said we don't have all the answers butwhat we could do is tap into some of the global challenges, these hackathonsand some of the international competitions for ideas and put some of our money upas seed funding. It has grown and grown and grown and now we have about over100 projects in over 30 nations of the Indo-Pacific.

We areharnessing scientific and medical research and technology in the delivery of ouraid. For example, we have a fantastic program using drones to identify needs inthe aftermath of a natural disaster. We are trialling drones deliveringpharmaceuticals. We are working as part of the world mosquito program, workingwith the bacteria Wolbachia to see if we can eliminate Dengue fever and Zika.In partnership with other Australian research institutions we are using videoconferencing for female doctors in Pakistan to reach into rural and regionalareas that just were not receiving that level of health care, using video conferencing.Time and time again, the innovationXchange is tapping into some of the mostcreative thinking and breaking new ground is what Australia is renowned for.

I amdelighted that the innovationXchange is hosting this discussion today. Francesis a huge supporter of the concept of innovation threading its way across theDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Think differently. Think creatively.Don't do what you have always done because you have always done it. Come upwith new ideas. We have had some fantastic DFAT-wide competitions where we haveasked everybody in DFAT to come up with an idea to solve a problem in your workarea. The quality of the thinking and the quality of the ideas has been nothingshort of astounding. I would love to see this across the public service. We aresetting a standard, and it has been acknowledged – that beautiful trophy there,very innovative looking trophy. We have been recognised for embracinginnovation as the core of our aid program and now under Francis Adamson you willsee it across DFAT. It makes it such an exciting place to be. You are at theedge, you are doing things that others are not. Your ideas, your enthusiasm,your energy, your thinking will be taken on board. You have an opportunity toget your ideas into public policy and I can't think of anything more exciting,particularly for young people coming into the public service and knowing thattheir creativity will be recognised and appreciated.

Sarah, weare just delighted to have you as the Chief Innovation Officer at DFAT. Thefact that we have a Chief Innovation Officer in the Department of ForeignAffairs and Trade is noticed around the world, a very different thing to do, butalso, someone of your standing and calibre makes us proud to have you as head ofthe innovationXchange.

I now haveto go back to Parliament. Day one after a break, I can tell you the in-tray islooking very full. I really wish you all the best for today. It should be avery exciting day but more than that, it will be fun. You will be empowered,you will be strengthened, you will be energised by what you hear from thesefive fabulous science role models that are here today. Enjoy and let's keepcelebrating National Science Week every week of the year.