Recognition for young leaders and entrepreneurs
The 40 Under 40 Awards will celebrate the contribution of young leaders to the stateās economy, from those in emerging industries to regional innovators, says awards judge Steve Greenwood.
Queensland Futures Institute CEO Steve Greenwood is a judge for the inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards, which will recognise 40 of the stateās young leaders and entrepreneurs at a gala dinner next month.
With nominations closing on June 16, Greenwood said he is excited by the awards highlighting innovation and achievement in business.
āThe awards offer the opportunity to promote some of the young leaders, including thought leaders, in a wide range of sectors important to Queenslandās growth,ā he said.
QFI champions faster economic and social growth through collaborative and apolitical public policy reform, with its members coming from a broad spectrum of academic, business, community and social services, government, industry and research organisations.
Greenwood hopes the 40 Under 40 Awards will bring attention to all contributors to the stateās growing economy, particularly those sectors operating outside of the major cities.
āSouth East Queensland is focused on managing growth [with] the Olympics focusing a lot of the near-term activity,ā he said.
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āBut some of the thinking around āwhere to from here?ā in terms of energy supply and critical minerals ā thatās where, I think, weāre seeing some new ideas.
āIām really interested to see what comes out of our regions, and to see their unique ideas and solutions [that can contribute] to growing the state.ā
He said the 40 Under 40 Awards provide an āimportant and excitingā opportunity to increase knowledge around emerging industries and technologies to help make them better understood.
From the stateās emerging sectors, he hoped to see tech, biohealth and bioenergy step forward and be represented.
ā[The QFIās] goal is to do what we can to stimulate thinking around the future of the state,ā he said.
āItās always important to celebrate and acknowledge these new ideas [because] new thinking is where the future growth of the state is going to come from.ā
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The think tank recently launched Building Queenslandās Future Together: Harnessing New Growth In Financial Services, reporting on the role of the stateās financial services sector in catalysing the green economy.
Greenwood said QFI has a vision for the state to become the āgreen finance hub for the Asia Pacific regionā with the green economy offering ābig opportunitiesā.
āWe have a lot of natural capital assets, and there are new opportunities to invest in those,ā he said.
āIn addition to that, we have a large number of renewable energy projects on the cards, and theyāre going to require a huge amount of financing.ā
Through the QFIās forums, councils and other engagements, he said the body encouraged newer and younger voices, and a diversity of opinions from its membership, ābig and smallā.
Beyond the opportunity for building awareness for the work of individuals and their companies, Greenwood said there was another important reason to nominate for this yearās awards.
āItās very unusual for someone to actually progress an idea or action by themselves,ā he said.
āThey always need some form of support or joint assistance ā be that financial, through other input into decision making, or be through investors ā and these awards are an opportunity to promote [the nomineeās] activity.ā
The 40 Under 40 Awards are presented by InQueensland and The Weekend Editions.
The awards will acknowledge this yearās alumni of 40 of the stateās brightest, including the winners of the 11 category awards.
Nominations and self-nominations close June 16.
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