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18th November 2022
This year’s CatalystWest – western Sydney’s largest ideas forum – will bring together the best and brightest minds to hit the reset button and make headway on the most pressing issues impacting the region.
Over the last few years western Sydney has been hit hard. After being rocked by bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, CatalystWest is looking to answer the question is it enough to bounce back from these events or do we need to bounce forward.
Taking place across Parramatta over three days from the 22 – 24 November, CatalystWest will explore a range of topics, from health innovation, the start-up economy, and the future of western Sydney.
The event will also feature a number of prominent speakers including, physician, journalist and presenter, Dr Norman Swan; author, television and radio presenter, James O’Loughlin; and award-winning freelance journalist, presenter Elfy Scott.
Day one will be delivered at the Westmead Innovation Quarter (iQ) within the Westmead medical precinct. The focus will be on innovations to improve western Sydney’s health and wellbeing. It will also showcase iQ and explore the potential of health collaboration across the region more broadly.
Day two will be delivered from Western Sydney University’s, Engineering Innovation Hub, its newest campus in the Parramatta CBD. Presenters and audience members will explore how can we support the growth of the region’s booming culture of tech entrepreneurship and enhance its natural competitive advantages, particularly western Sydney’s above average proportion of female entrepreneurs.
On 24 November, CatalystWest moves to Western Sydney University’s Parramatta Square campus. The forum’s final day brings together vibrant speakers and thinkers from a range of sectors and walks-of-life to ponder, how we can bounce forward as we emerge from the pandemic and rethink the way our cities and regions can thrive.
Professor Andy Marks, Director, Centre for Western Sydney and founder of CatalystWest, said he was excited to see how this new iteration of the event would show how western Sydney holds the answers to some of the nation’s most urgent challenges.
“Western Sydney does not have to approach the big social, economic, and urban challenges the same way other more conventional parts of Sydney do. As Australia’s most culturally diverse, rapidly growing and youngest population, Sydney’s west has the agility to lead on re-thinking the way we work, play and thrive in cities and regions in the wake of the pandemic. We can bounce forward instead of back,” said Professor Marks.
“Through forums like CatalystWest, Sydney’s West can share its talents and innovation to overcome critical challenges in climate resilience, physical and digital connectivity and rising costs of living,” said Professor Marks
“CatalystWest is a great opportunity for thought leaders from the corporate sector, academia, government, the community and not-for-profit organisations, to come together and share their expertise with others, and build lasting and impactful collaborations.”
