| VHA Global participates in National Innovation Review |
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VHA Global was represented at a private dinner with the Hon. Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to discuss innovation in the services sector against the backdrop of the National Innovation Review currently in progress. Chief Analyst Peter Dumble was among representatives from all types of services sectors including the legal, tertiary education, accountancy banking, engineering, architectural, computing and research – clearly the knowledge-intensive end of the Services spectrum. The Services Innovation Alliance Dinner, as it was billed, took place at the Waterfront restaurant Port Melbourne on Wednesday 2nd April 2008. The setting certainly enhanced the proceedings as it was held in a separate room with 180O floor-to-ceiling windows and perched over Hobson’s Bay. That same night saw Melbourne buffeted by ferocious winds blacking out over 100,000 homes and damaging hundreds more. There was no danger of anyone falling asleep! Most of those in attendance were there because of their membership or participation as representatives of their particular services sector in other forums such as the Services Export Advisory Committee which advises the Victorian Government through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Research and Development. VHA Global is the health sector representative on this Committee.
The dinner was organized by the CEO of Australian Services Roundtable, Jane Drake-Brockman, who made an impassioned plea for Services to be formally represented in the membership of the Minister’s standing Innovation Advisory Committee, which will be finalized on 30th April 2008. She presented the compelling statistics that the Services sector now employs 85% of the workforce and accounts for 23% of exports.
Various contributions were made from around the table all supporting Jane’s position, but also pointing out that the Service sector by its very knowledge-intensive nature is largely the driver of innovation, both as the originator and then the disseminator of newly successful innovations.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Reference Group on Health Services In a separate, but related, event, VHA Global also made a submission to the DFAT Reference Group on Health Services held in Canberra on Tuesday 8th April 2008.
Our submission, which was presented by Jane Drake-Brockman, called for a strengthening of Australia’s market servicing capability by the deployment of dedicated in-the-field executives. Ideally such executives would be employed directly by private consortia; formed specifically to target particular sectors; but if necessary, could be attached to Austrade offices. The prime criterion was for each executive to have a specific industry focus. |
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