AI and Connected Communities Leadership Series
Innovation Central Melbourne (ICM), in collaboration with Cisco, and the National Industry Innovation Network invites you to the AI in Connected Communities with a focus on Crisis Response & Resilience.
Bringing together councils, emergency management, industry, and research leaders to explore crisis response, AI, resilient communications, and future-ready connected communities.
Featured speakers and topics include:
Cisco Crisis Response (CCR)
The Cisco Crisis Response Team will provide overview of their mission, Crisis Response Communications Solutions, and case studies for emergency readiness and resilience within local councils.
Broadwick Connect & Peter Self
Off-grid mesh communications, disaster connectivity, emergency management coordination, and council resilience capability
BrainSTEM & Bruck Lock
AI innovation, workforce capability, secure infrastructure systems, and operational technology deployment
Prof Wei Xiang — Chair, Cisco La Trobe Centre for AI and IoT
AI, edge computing, and resilient connected systems
Prof Daswin D'Silva — Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition
AI cognition, predictive analytics, and intelligent operations
Gerard Blood, Director, La Trobe University City
Future cities, connected communities, and digital infrastructure planning
Jeff Jones, Moderator and Director, innovation Central Melbourne
Event Series:
28 July 2026 — Executive Thought Leadership Forum
A CxO and senior leadership forum exploring crisis response strategy, ESG and network modernisation grants, evacuation and relief centre readiness, AI-enabled council services, and next-generation digital infrastructure for local government.
22 September 2026 — Partner Innovation Showcase
Industry and technology partners present practical council-focused solutions including AI pods and machine vision, smart community infrastructure, emergency communications, digital sports facilities, and operational resilience use-cases supported through Cisco Crisis Response initiatives.
9–12 November 2026 — Cisco Live Melbourne Engagement
ICM delegation and executive roundtable held alongside Cisco Live Melbourne, including participation in the Cisco Live Challenge (DevNet), connecting councils, industry, research, and technology leaders to explore scalable innovation and crisis response capability across Australia.
Hosted at Innovation Central Melbourne (ICM), La Trobe University. Presentations, hands on with AI and networking at the end.