Foundational Models & AI Innovation Showcase: Building the Future in Western Australia
Australia’s AI ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and Western Australia is playing an increasingly important role in shaping how AI is developed and applied across startups, research, universities and industry.
Join Edith Cowan University (ECU) and SMEC AI for an evening exploring how AI is moving from research into real-world application through local success stories, emerging technologies and practical demonstrations.
Hosted at ECU’s new CreatorsLAB in the heart of Perth, this event brings together founders, students, researchers, SMEs, industry professionals and innovation leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping Australia’s AI future.
The evening has been designed to take attendees on a journey through Western Australia’s AI ecosystem, from understanding the broader landscape, to hearing firsthand founder experiences, through to seeing emerging AI technologies demonstrated live.
What you’ll learn
The current state of Western Australia’s AI ecosystem and where the biggest opportunities lie for SMEs
Insights from the AI Engineer World Fair in San Francisco and what Australia’s AI community can learn from global developments
A founder’s journey from participating in SMEC AI to building a successful AI consultancy in the life sciences sector
How organisations can assess and accelerate their AI readiness using emerging AI tools
Practical applications of foundational models, large language models and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
Opportunities to collaborate with Western Australia’s growing AI ecosystem
Featured speakers
Lisa Longman (AITAI - AI Institute & Bloom)
Setting the foundation for the evening, Lisa will share insights into Western Australia’s AI ecosystem, lessons from the AI Engineer World Fair in San Francisco, and the opportunities AI presents for SMEs and innovators across the state.
Dr. Yulianna Shiikha (Life Science Ai)
Yulianna will share her journey founding Life Science Ai, demonstrating how AI can drive systems-level transformation within the life sciences sector and beyond.
Andrew Lai (Boab & SMEC AI)
Andrew will share perspectives on the growing Australian AI ecosystem, the importance of practical AI adoption, and how collaboration between universities, founders and industry can accelerate innovation.
A/Prof Suku Sukunesan, Dr. Ali Tehrani & Dr. Fedja Hadzic (ECU / September.ai)
Experience the public showcase of ECU’s new AI Readiness Tool, an AI-powered conversational assessment platform that helps organisations evaluate their AI maturity using research-backed methodologies and multiple large language models. The team will share how the tool was developed, demonstrate it live, and discuss its future applications across research, industry and government.
Whether you’re exploring AI for the first time, actively building AI solutions, or simply curious about where the technology is heading, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect with the people helping shape the future of AI in Western Australia.
SMEC AI's recent meetup at UniMelb with Simon Kriss, CEO of Sovereign Australia AI
The Venue
We can't wait to see you at the new CreatorsLAB at ECU City.
About SMEC AI
SMEC AI is an initiative of Boab AI in partnership with Artesian, Cremorne Digital Hub, University of Melbourne, RMIT, La Trobe University, Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub, TNG and Rockwell.have
The SMEC AI project and activities has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry Science and Resources AI Adopt program and is aimed at enhancing the adoption of artificial intelligence by small to medium enterprises in Australia.
About ECU
Edith Cowan University (ECU) is one of Australia’s and the world’s best young universities. They have more than 30,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. They also welcome over 6,000 international students annually, originating from more than 100 countries.