Australia’s AI Future: The National Strategy, with Lee Hickin, National AI Centre
Australia’s approach to AI is entering a new phase, moving from experimentation to national capability building, strategy, and real-world adoption across industry and SMEs.
Join SMEC AI and the National AI Centre (NAIC) for an evening conversation exploring Australia’s National AI Strategy, and what it means in practice for businesses, government, and the broader AI ecosystem.
This event features a fireside conversation with Lee Hickin, Executive Director of the National AI Centre, focused on how Australia is approaching AI governance, adoption, and capability building, and where the biggest opportunities and challenges lie for SMEs and industry.
Alongside this discussion, SMEC AI will be making a national announcement to help Australian SMEs navigate AI adoption, implementation, and decision-making in real time.
The evening is designed to connect national strategy with practical execution, bringing together government, industry, and ecosystem leaders for an open discussion on how Australia can move from AI awareness to AI capability at scale.
What you’ll learn:
• Australia’s priorities under the National AI Strategy
• How government and industry are thinking about AI adoption at scale
• The key barriers SMEs face when implementing AI in practice
• What practical support mechanisms (like the AI Advice Line) look like
• Where Australia can build a real competitive advantage in applied AI
Format:
• Fireside conversation with Lee Hickin (National AI Centre)
• Moderated Q&A with audience participation
• Special announcement from SMEC AI
• Networking with government, industry, and ecosystem stakeholders
Who should attend:
• SME founders and operators
• Government and policy stakeholders
• AI practitioners and engineers
• Startup and innovation ecosystem participants
• Anyone interested in how AI is being applied in Australia today
This is a focused, practical discussion on how national strategy translates into real-world capability, and what it takes to make AI accessible and useful for Australian businesses.
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.
SMEC AI focuses on the agriculture, clean energy, medical and enabling capabilities industries as defined by the National Reconstruction Fund priority areas.
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 Lee Hickin
Lee has over 30 years’ experience in the technology industry, having been in engineering, sales and senior leadership roles. Prior to joining the Australian Federal Government, he was the CTO for Microsoft ANZ, leading the launch of the OpenAI partnership, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.
Today, Lee leads the Australian National AI Centre (NAIC), with a mission to enable and support Australian organisations to safely adopt AI technology and services.
About the National AI Centre (NAIC)
The National AI Centre (NAIC) is the Australian Government’s lead body helping organisations understand and use AI safely. We work with businesses to show where AI can add value and how to use it well. Our focus is practical uptake, moving organisations from curiosity about AI to experimenting to value-add use.
About Cremorne Digital Hub (CDH)
Cremorne Digital Hub is a networked innovation ecosystem that connects startups, universities, corporates, and investors through programs, events, and physical space to drive collaboration, commercialisation, and growth of the Victoria innovation ecosystem. CDH links industry with the Victorian innovation ecosystem through events, workspace, and community, providing a platform for working together, sharing ideas, building strategic relationships, and creating new business opportunities.