Why is place so important to innovation systems? 2022

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How does place influence the DNA of an innovation ecosystem and ultimately shape it?

Place has a critical role in influencing the development of innovation ecosystems. The people, the businesses, the economic profile, the culture, the history and its aspiration for its future all play a part in making each innovation ecosystem different from the next.

In many ways this very fact highlights why it is folly to try and emulate or imitate other innovation ecosystems and accept that yours will ultimately be a reflection of the place in which it sits - reflecting what the community needs and wants.

Macquarie University Incubator is excited to host an event with Visiting Entrepreneur Roxanne Varza who will be sharing how she sees place influencing innovation ecosystems and how this has played a role in shaping the world's largest startup campus STATION F located in Paris.

In addition, attendees will also be hearing from a panel of representatives from leading innovation precincts.

The panel will be moderated by Susan Moylan-Coombs and delve into how they see place having an influence on their innovation districts, how they are developing or have grown, and what influence their location has on their DNA.

Visiting entrepreneur

• Roxanne Varza - Director, STATION F

Panel

• Annie Parker - Executive Director, Tech Central, Greater Cities Commission

• Don Wright - Director, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Western Sydney University

• Melissa Ryan - Director, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Macquarie University

Panel moderator

• Susan Moylan-Coombs - Founder and Director, The Gaimaragal Group

About Roxanne Varza

Roxanne Varza is director of STATION F, the world's largest startup campus with more than 1,000 startups, located in Paris. She is also an angel investor (companies include Claap, Folk, Resilience.care, Moka.care, Colette and more) and scout for Sequoia Capital. Before joining STATION F, she led Microsoft Ventures Paris and was Editor of TechCrunch France. She also worked for several London-based startups and co-founded StarHer (now part of SISTA), Tech.eu and Failcon France.

About Macquarie University Incubator

Macquarie University Incubator, located on the land of the the Wattamattageal clan of the Darug nation , supports entrepreneurs, researchers, students and intrapreneurs (industry). Open to anyone we are not just for those with an existing relationship with Macquarie University. MQ Incubator supports our community via education programs, access to networks of mentors and investors, a range of professional services, member perks and offers, diverse space from coworking to large offices, and a packed calendar of networking and pitching events. Innovation that changes the world takes time so MQ Incubator supports long term relationships with our startup and scaleups as they grow.

The Visiting Entrepreneur Program is produced by the City of Sydney with partner organisations from the local startup ecosystem. The 2022 edition is kindly supported by Tech Central and the Greater Cities Commission.