(5/12/2019) City of Fremantle and Notre Dame collaborate to grow tech

The City of Fremantle and Notre Dame University have partnered to support the tech-based event Freo Startup Fest being held in Fremantle today.

The inaugural Fremantle event is part of West Tech Fest - Western Australia’s premier innovation festival – which is on at various locations across Perth this week.

With support from the City of Fremantle, Notre Dame University, Upstart Investments, Startup WA, Startup News and Innovation Bay, the Freo Startup Fest will bring together WA’s startup community to celebrate the growth and successes of the startup ecosystem.

Bringing together founders, investors, industry and government, the day will feature pitching of ideas, awards and a celebratory sundowner at Little Creatures.

The day also includes an event that explores opportunities linked to the blue economy which is focused on marine-based technology and oceanic industries.

The City of Fremantle and Notre Dame University are continuing to collaborate on opportunities that contribute to the growth of the technology sector in Fremantle, particularly activities linked to innovation, research and support for start-ups.

The Freo Startup Fest follows GovHack, a tech-based event held in Fremantle earlier in the year.

GovHack is an international competition in which people can access local, state and federal government data and use it to develop innovative apps and concepts to solve some of the modern world’s big problems.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said Fremantle is already home to big players in the technology sector and it’s important to foster an environment that supports new up and comers.

“The City is working with Notre Dame to identify opportunities to leverage research and innovation linked to the technology sector as a means to diversifying our economy,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“Fremantle has a number of comparative advantages that provide the opportunity to own certain parts of the tech sector that will add value to our economy, including marine, logistics and even the creative sector.”   

The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Clare Stanford said working together with industry and government to encourage research and innovation is currently a focus for the university.

“We see the collaboration with the City of Fremantle as a significant opportunity to support the growth of creative and technology based sectors.” Ms Stanford said.

“Providing start-ups with a supportive community and low risk environment is critical for taking big ideas to the next stage”.

More information on Freo Startup fest can be found here.