2025 Wrap Up

Innovation Cluster Christmas Closure

22nd December - 5th January

The countdown is on for the BioInnovation Festival, taking place 9-13 March 2026, and we’re thrilled to share a first look at what’s shaping up to be an inspiring, future-focused celebration of regional innovation and cross-sector collaboration at the Regional Innovation Summit on Friday 13 March at Caves House in Yallingup!

Two major features of this year’s program are our confirmed keynotes! Richard Beaumont, Founder & CEO of Agovor in New Zealand will bring a global perspective on agtech, robotics, and regional innovation leadership - with the added bonus of a live demo from their team during the Investor Tour on the 12th of March!

We are also incredibly excited to announce that polar explorer, adventurer, environmental champion and filmmaker Tim Jarvis will be joining us to share his journey!

We’re also delighted to confirm Neville Poelina, a Nyikina cultural leader and expert in bush medicine and Country-based innovation, for the “Nature’s Pharmacy: Unlocking Ocean and Country for Future Medicines” panel session.

He will join Rosanna Angus, a Jawi woman from the remote Kimberley region, and Dr Pia Winberg of PhycoHealth, who together have developed a new marine-based product range. Rosanna and Pia will share how cultural knowledge, ecology, and biotech can work together to spark fresh therapeutic breakthroughs.

Darren Holland and Gavin Flematti will also be on the panel, sharing discoveries of anticancer compounds from WA’s marine sponges. This session will showcase the rich collaboration between Indigenous knowledge, ecology, and biotechnology in creating the next generation of natural medicines.

Across the wider Summit program, attendees can expect a full day of connection and collaboration, including a Sundowner on the Caves House Creatures Deck featuring a performance by Dog House Collective!

The investor tour will take participants across the South West to meet founders, see tech in action, and explore regional innovation systems firsthand. It’s an immersive, curated experience designed to spark real connections between founders, investors, researchers, and industry.

The 2026 festival will bring together founders, researchers, Traditional Owners, investors, industry leaders, and community champions – with the regional component spotlighting the bold ideas and breakthrough science emerging from Western Australia’s regions. 

Tickets for both the BioInnovation Festival Regional Component and Metro Component are on sale now!

AgriSpace is an early-stage agtech investment syndicate facilitated through an intuitive online platform bringing together investors and growers with agtech startup businesses.

2026 AgriSpace Melbourne Investor Tour: evokeAg Side Event

Tickets limited to only 25 people for this exclusive tour building linkages between investors, growers and startups.

Price includes bus transport, exclusive tours at two Melbourne based innovative agtech businesses – Ornata Ag and MEQ probe, startup pitches and strategies for agtech angel investing. Tour will also include drinks and canapes at Mountain Culture Brewing, where guests will hear from Emily Tankey of Better Together Brewing about securing Australia’s supply chain for craft brewing inputs as well as provenance.

HARVEST is WA’s leading business development program for start-ups and SMEs looking to innovate in the agrifood and agtech industries. Over the last 8 years, HARVEST programs have had more than 80 graduates and successfully delivered new connections, partners, customers, and investment opportunities to participants, while also supporting collaboration across the industry.

We are thrilled that a number of our 2025 HARVEST cohort alumni are recipients of the DEED Innovation Booster Grant!!

4 of the HARVEST 2025 cohort received a $2000 bursary to travel to Melbourne and get the opportunity to pitch on the AgriSpace investor tour and attend evokeAg.

evokeAG | Levied and Emerging Industries Stakeholder EOI

evokeAg is inviting a select group of stakeholders from AgriFutures Levied and Emerging Industries to join them at evokeᴬᴳ 2026, the Asia Pacific's premier agrifood tech event, for a curated experience designed specifically around your opportunities and challenges.

Applications close on the 10th of December 2025.

HARVEST Agtech Accelerator Program

2025 Business Case Studies

Lynne Loo – UpWaste Australia

“Agristart's HARVEST program has exceeded my expectations in terms of what I am learning and the invaluable connections I have made with key players from WA's most significant agrifood businesses. The program has helped me to refine my thinking and given me more confidence in the approach I am taking with my business. The thoughtfulness of the program that has been put together cannot be understated and I'm very grateful to have been included in the 2025 cohort.”

Isidora Bianchi – ClimAdapt

“The project was outstanding! I'm really pleased and happy that I made the decision of participating. As new to the region and to the sector, it provided me with tools, connections and a feeling for the industry that would have taken me at least a year to acquire.”

Farm Business Resilience Program Wrap-up 

The Farm Business Resilience (FBR) Program has now supported 15 farming businesses across Western Australia through a blend of practical workshops, tailored one-on-one advisory visits, and real-world business planning tools designed to strengthen long-term resilience. Growers engaged in hands-on learning, peer connection, and personalised support that helped build confidence, improve financial decision-making, and support future-focused planning.

A special thank you goes to Lucy Anderton from MyFARMSMART for her expertise and exceptional contribution throughout the program. Her support has been instrumental in ensuring participating businesses received high-quality, relevant, and actionable guidance.

To showcase the impact of the program, we’re pleased to share the story of one of our participating farming families, highlighting how the FBR Program has supported their planning, decision-making, and long-term resilience

The Farm Business Resilience Program is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s #FutureDroughtFund and WA’s Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development.

Introducing Connected Futures! 

We’re excited to announce the launch of Connected Futures, the new not-for-profit arm of Innovation Cluster. While AgriStart continues as our commercial arm - driving agricultural innovation through initiatives such as HARVEST, AgriSpace, and our wider agri-industry programs - Connected Futures has been established to expand our impact across the region through community-focused, purpose-led initiatives.

Connected Futures is guided by three key pillars of purpose: Growing innovative minds, strengthening resilient communities, and building sustainable futures. Every program and partnership is designed to activate these pillars and deliver long-term benefit across the South West and beyond.

Under Connected Futures, we will deliver programs including Future Founders, CONNECT Sustainable Industries, and a suite of regional innovation initiatives that bring together businesses, educators, and community partners to boost capability, participation and economic resilience.

One of the flagship Connected Futures programs is LEEF (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Emotional Resilience & Financial Independence) - a transformational pathway for women in the South West. We share a halfway update on our inaugural cohort and the incredible momentum already building in the next section!

Explore more about our purpose and programs at: connectedfutures.au

Empowering regional women to gain skills, connections and financial freedom

We’re officially halfway through the Connected Futures LEEF Program, our six-month initiative empowering regional women with skills, confidence, and connections to start their business or advance their careers.

Over the past few months, participants have enjoyed a free office space, group workshops, and 1:1 mentoring across leadership, entrepreneurship, emotional resilience, financial independence, budgeting, mindfulness, and branding. A standout moment was the visit from the Dress for Success team in Busselton, bringing a boost of confidence to the group.

To celebrate the halfway mark, we held an end of year Christmas lunch at Amelia Park Tavern for participants and sponsors. Deputy Mayor Kate Cox joined us to acknowledge the cohort’s courage and growth, and to highlight the importance of programs like LEEF in building inclusive economic participation for women in our region.

A huge thank you to our facilitators, mentors, and supporters for creating a supportive environment where women can learn, grow, and thrive.

2025 Partners: City of Busselton, Bendigo Bank, Busselton Water. LEEF is delivered by Innovation Cluster in partnership with The SET, Rural Enterprises, Financial Utilities, Core of Wellbeing and Georgina Beniston.

We are developing a playbook to support other regions to implement LEEF - reach out for more details if interested for your region!

Connect Sustainable Industries 2025 Cohort

From our co-working and training space The SET

EOI for a unique collaboration opportunity at The SET in Vasse!

We’re offering discounted workspace with the potential to base your business here, in exchange for light reception tasks. We’re keeping things open-minded - if you’re a small business, social media specialist, or creative operator looking for a vibrant base, we’d love to hear what you can bring to the space.

We also have a large open floor area (ground level) which could be taken over separately if that suits your business model, with plenty of display space. Training and meeting rooms, kitchen, shower… everything you need to provide a fresh and productive space for your team.

We’re open to creative collaborations! If you’re interested in exploring one, reach out with your EOI below.

Christmas Closure: 22nd Dec - 5th Jan

(training room bookings available by request during this period)

From the Innovation Ecosystem

Explore what's next

EOIs now open: SIFT Facility Operator

A once-in-a-lifetime, industry-led opportunity to anchor your operations and lead Western Australia’s first shared food innovation centre – designed by industry, for industry.

SIFT is now inviting EOIs for an organisation to operate WA’s first shared food innovation centre. The Facility Operator will manage the site, run their own production and enable WA businesses to innovate, test products and scale in a high-quality environment.

This role is central to SIFT’s purpose of strengthening the state’s food and beverage sector through practical capability-building and shared infrastructure.

2026 Fertilizer Australia Conference

The 2026 Fertilizer Australia Conference is a cornerstone event on the industry calendar and will be held in Fremantle, WA from 8-10 September.

While Sponsorship Packages Platinum Event Sponsor, Gold Welcome Reception and Wednesday Day Sponsor have already been secured, the conference organisers are currently inviting businesses to consider the remaining high-value sponsorship opportunities available for a unique chance to connect with leading organisations and decision-makers from across the fertiliser value chain.

And for those in our network who would be interested to attend this conference, please follow updates below:

Innovation Cluster would like to thank all its partners and clients for their support in 2025. All the best for the festive season and we are excited about whats coming in 2026!

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