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The G20 Global Business Challenge (GBC) brings together teams of students, researchers and industry members to develop solutions to water scarcity.
Teams can reform a water-reliant business sector such as agriculture, develop a large scale global solution or identify funding opportunities for a developing country.QUT vice-chancellor professor Peter Coaldrake says the conference turns the focus to global issues.
“This is Australia’s first case competition and with winning-team prize money of US$100,000 the G20 GBC will lift Brisbane’s international profile both as a business and education destination.“Water issues are an impediment to health and wellbeing in poverty-stricken developing nations and a constraint to economic development in developed economies.”
He says the event will be held annually, building the city’s reputation in international business competitions.Griffith University vice-chancellor professor Ian O’Connor says the theme is relevant to Australia, with mining industries facing significant water challenges.
“Resources and extractive mining industries are based in rural and regional Australia and often use vast quantities of water treatment to meet environmental standards, as well as the need for large water storage capacity.“To date, no single technological solution has been found to the water treatment problem faced by these industries, but when one is it will open up opportunities for the development of new agricultural-based industries,” he says.
UQ vice-chancellor and president professor Peter Høj says the GBC will attract emerging leaders and innovators from around the world.“This is an unprecedented opportunity for highly-skilled graduate students, technologists and researchers to collaborate on proposals that will stand proof-of-concept testing and will potentially assist communities worldwide.”
He says competitors not only have the opportunity to improve society, but potentially secure funding and valuable connections.Executives, industry and government representatives will judge teams, with the finalists announced on August 15.
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