With most people returning to work next week after the Australia Day public holiday, there is time to reflect on some of the 2019 highlights contributing to ACS’ vision for Australia to become a world leader in tech talent, fostering innovation and creating new forms of value.

JANUARY

• Launch of Rockstar Aussie Founders Report

FEBRUARY

• EDXN fireside chat with Nobel Prize recipient and The New York Times Columnist Paul Krugman on Economic & Jobs Growth in an Era of Digital Disruption
• ACS Professional Standards Scheme registration
• Startup Catalyst Investor Mission to Silicon Valley
• River Pitch produced for television: Queensland Semi-finalists
• 460 attendees at ACS Victoria Young Professionals Conference

MARCH

• River Pitch produced for television: NSW Semi-finalists
• River Pitch produced for television: Victoria Semi-finalists
• Support for Big Day In with 1,800 students attending UTS, 550 attending Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, and 350 on the Sunshine Coast
• Startup Catalyst Community Leaders mission to Boulder, Denver
• ACS Hackathon Produces World-First Prototype Data Sharing Solution
• Boardroom policy event at ACS Technology & Innovation Hub with The Hon Paul Fletcher MP and Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

APRIL

• Launch of Blockchain 2030 – A look at the Future of Blockchain in Australia
• River Pitch produced for television: Final with WePloy the inaugural winners
• Support for Big Day In with 350 students attending Newcastle
• Tasmanian Women in ICT Pathways program launched
• 469 attendees at ACS Victoria Young Professionals Conference
• Dave Sharma candidate for NSW Federal seat of Wentworth presenting to ACS National Congress

MAY

• Launch of the ACS 2019 Federal Election Manifesto 17 #Gamechangers For Higher Paying Australian Jobs
• Launch of Hacking Democracies; Cataloging Cyber-Enabled Attacks on Elections
• Launch of Blockchain Challenges for Australia
• Support for Big Day In with 800 students attending Perth, 220 attending Southern Queensland, 400 attending Tasmania, and 350 attending Canberra.
• Junior Big Day Ins attracting 700 primary school students across Perth and Hobart
• Startup Catalyst hardware-focused ‘Makers Mission’ to Silicon Valley
• The 24th Australian System Safety Conference is organised by the Australian Safety Systems Critical Association (aSCSa), a Special Interest Group of the ACS.

JUNE

• Support for Big Day In with 400 students attending University of Queensland, 360 attending RMIT, and 420 attending University of Adelaide.
• Junior Big Day In Brisbane attracting 600 primary school students
• ACS WA State Conference 2019 - Creating the Roadmap for a Disruptive WA
• 470 ACS Victoria Young Professionals Conference
• Tasmania Digital Pulse launch with Minister Michael Ferguson MP, Minister for Information Technology and Innovation

JULY

• Opening of the ACS Technology & Innovation Hub in Docklands, Victoria with The Hon Jane Garrett MLC
• 380 attendees at ACS NSW Young Professionals Conference
• ACS policy roundtable with South Australian Minister for Innovation and Skills the Hon David Pisoni MP

AUGUST

• Junior Big Day Ins attracting 800 primary school students across Melbourne and Sydney
• Warren Faulkner awarded ACS Indigenous Scholarship with Charles Darwin University
• Felicia Vozzo, manager of DXC’s Dandelion Program, awarded the 2019 ACS South Australia Young Professional award, the first woman to win the prize in its 20 years.
• ACS policy roundtable with Northern Territory Minister for Corporate and Information Services, the Hon Lauren Moss

SEPTEMBER

• ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse 2019 launched by the treasurer, The Hon Josh Frydenberg from the ACS Technology & Innovation Hub in Docklands
• Acquired the assets of ADMA, DGA, IAPA, DT&C
• 100+ attendees at ACS SA Young Professionals Conference
• 100+ attendees at ACS ACT Young Professionals Conference
• 100+ attendees at ACS WA Young Professionals Conference
• ACS Queensland launch of Digital Pulse with Mr Graham Perrett MP

OCTOBER

• Junior Big Day In Western Sydney attracting 690 primary school students
• ACS WA Dennis Moore Oration
• 390 attendees at ACS NSW Young Professionals Conference
• 200 attendees at ACS Queensland Young Professionals Conference
• Northern Territory Gateway to Asia event
• Boardroom policy event at ACS Technology & Innovation Hub with the Hon Paul Fletcher MP and the Member for North Sydney Trent Zimmerman MP the Hon Dave Kelly MLA

NOVEMBER

• Startup Catalyst AgTech mission to Israel
• 100+ attendees at Tasmanian Young ICT Professionals Half-Day Conference
• Boardroom policy event at ACS Technology & Innovation Hub Barangaroo with the Hon Karen Andrews MP Minister for Industry, Science and Technology and the Member for North Sydney Trent Zimmerman MP

DECEMBER

• Junior Big Day In Sydney’s inner west attracting 400 primary school students
• Reimagination Thought Leaders Summit with more than 2,400 attendees with Special Reimagination Feature in the Australian Financial Review
• Prime Minister of Australia sending a video message for Reimagination
• Digital Disruptor Awards
• Announcement of the ACS early stage tech fund initiative
• Launch of Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing Frameworks report
• Boardroom policy event at ACS Technology & Innovation Hub Docklands with Ms Clare O’Neil MP Shadow Minister for Innovation, Technology and the Future of Work
• Harrison AI as a resident of Harbour City Labs announces $29m capital raise
• Launch of Machine Learning Innovation Patent Analytics report launched by the Hon Karen Andrews MP Minister for Industry, Science and Technology and Angie Bell MP
• Deakin University Awarded first ACS Specialist Accreditation in Cyber Security
• Launch of the ACS Artificial Intelligence Hub in Docklands