Institute for Frontier Materials 2014 Annual Conference

Wednesday 29 October 2014, 9.30am 5.30pm

Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) Drama Theatre
Program
9.00am 9.30am

Registration / tea and coffee on arrival

Kim Durrant

9.30am-9.35am

Speaker 1 Peter Hodgson to give Welcome and introduce Lee

Astheimer

Prof Peter Hodgson

9.35am-9.45am

Speaker 2 - Professor Lee Astheimer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

(Research) Opening Address

Prof Lee Astheimer

Introduce Keynote Speaker

Prof Lee Astheimer

Speaker 3 - Keynote Speaker Mr Michael Egan, Corporate

Manager, CSIRO Small and Medium enterprise Engagement Centre.

Mr Michael Egan

9.45am 10.45am

Title: Doing
10.45am 11.00am

MORNING BREAK Foyer area

11.00am 11.50am

POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS (1st session 15 x 3mins= 45 mins)

11.50am 12noon

Audience Voting first powerpoint session

12.00pm 1.00pm

LUNCH Foyer area

1.00pm 1.45pm

POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS (2nd session 14 x 3mins = 42 mins)

1.45pm 1.50pm

Audience Voting second powerpoint session

1.50pm-2.15pm

Whole IFM Photo

2.15pm 3.45pm

POSTER SESSION (66 posters to be judged 2 mins each poster by a

panel comprising Chairs of IFM subcommittees and members)

Tiffany Walsh (Master of

Ceremonies)

Tiffany Walsh (Master of

Ceremonies)

Tiffany Walsh (Master of

Ceremonies)

Judges:
Kevin Magniez, Matt Barnett, Aiden Beer, Patrick Howlett, Cristina
Pozo-Gonzalo and Minoo Naebe
3.45pm 4.15pm

Poster Judges deliberations

4.15-pm-4.30pm

ANNOUNCEMENTS OF WINNERS

4.30pm 5.30pm

NETWORKING EVENT

Peter Hodgson

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Institute for Frontier Materials 2014 Annual Conference

Wednesday 29 October 2014, 9.30am 5.30pm
Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) Drama Theatre
Program

Guest Speaker

Michael Egan, Director,

CSIRO Small & Medium Enterprise Engagement Centre

Michael is the Director of the CSIRO Small & Medium Enterprise

Engagement Centre, where he has worked for the last five years. In 2013, this program was
recognised with an Australian Business Award for Innovation in its industry classification. It
helps bridge the gap between companies and research organisations so that research
knowledge and technology can be used by businesses to overcome technical challenges and
improve their business performance. The team helps SMEs realise new ideas by enabling
connections with the right people and programs while also advising on the most appropriate
funding avenues.
In Australia, Michael has extensive experience in SMEs, in the uptake of innovation and
technology, opening new markets, developing new products and successfully bringing them to
export markets.
Previously, Michael spent 16 years in industry, covering Material Processing, Metrology and
Semiconductor Production, in Europe, the Middle East, Japan and the United States of
America. During this time Michael worked for large and small companies and received an
award for Outstanding Achievement while working at Intel.
Using core technology from Imperial College London, Michael was a founding member of a
successful company making solid state high power lasers specialising in applications in the
materials processing and microelectronics markets. This company enjoyed 233 per cent yearon-year growth and was listed as the fifth fastest growing venture capital backed company in
the United Kingdom in 2006 and third fastest in 2007. This was followed with the Queen's
Award for International Trade in 2008 as well as awards for Best Design and Innovation, and
Manufacturer of the Year.

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