Melbourne Knowledge week is live – Join Us #KnowNextNow


April 23, 2018

Our world is changing – but we have the knowledge today to create the Melbourne of tomorrow. Join us at #MKW18 during 7–13 May to explore the exciting opportunities, tackle the urgent challenges and learn the skills to help shape the future of Melbourne. #MKW18 is a chance for everyone in our community to be inspired about the future of city living, technology, food, work, health, sports and art, and celebrate this city’s most ambitious innovators, creators and problem solvers leading the way.

Australia has wised up to a smarter way of doing business. Startups have created more than 1.2 million jobs and contributed $164 billion to our economy in the past decade. Melbourne is home to a thriving startup community that values both the bottom line and real social impact and will be showcased through the week.

"Knowledge is power as they say and Melbourne must continue to evolve and innovate and if we want to remain one of the world's most competitive cities. Melbourne Knowledge Week boasts a line-up of more than 90 events to encourage Melburnians to think about the future of our great city and how we can all play a part in it,” Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood said.

More than 15,000 people attended Melbourne Knowledge Week 2017 and we anticipate drawing even greater crowds to the 2018 festival hub at North Melbourne's iconic Meat Market this year. The hub features a custom interior fitout by leading global architecture firm Grimshaw.

Chair of the Knowledge City portfolio, Councillor Dr Jackie Watts, said Melbourne Knowledge Week is designed to encourage and inspire innovation and will lay the groundwork for engagement with the community for Melbourne's collective economic, social and creative future.

"Melbourne Knowledge Week will feature mind-expanding discussions and workshops from leaders in technology, engineering, education and creative industries and connects our community through a range of networking sessions hosted by local tech-trendsetters," Dr Watts said.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION festival ambassador Laura Anderson, the Chair of LaunchVic, a global entrepreneur, international company director and philanthropist. Laura works extensively locally and globally as a senior advisor on global governance, strategy transformation and risk optimisation. "What makes Melbourne special to me always comes back to our people, and at the end of the day, it's all about people. Our people opt in, they are values based, we all step in and step up. Melbourne is inclusive versus an exclusive city and I'm a very, very proud Melbournian."

Check out all the events and program.

Hint* Search the startups tag for a bunch of programming related to your interests!