APPLE Computer Inc co-founder Steve Wozniak was this week named the international keynote speaker for Brilliant West Week, launched this week by Premier Alan Carpenter and to be held later in the year. Brilliant West Week aims to create opportunities to develop and promote innovation and creativity throughout Western Australia. Building on the success of the Inventor of the Year Award, the event is expected to take place in October this year, incorporating events targeted at school students, innovators, academics, researchers, commercialisation stakeholders and investors. Mr Wozniak will be the highlight of the ‘leading lights innovation and investment conference’, which is a main focus of the week designed to address one of the perceived barriers in developing and commercialising new ideas – access to capital. “His attendance will add more fuel to the passion and skills of our brilliant local inventors and innovators,” Mr Carpenter said in a statement. “The week is about encouraging innovation, creativity and brilliance across WA in school students, university students, inventors, start-up technology companies and the wider business community.” Mr Wozniak co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs and is credited with contributing greatly to the personal computer revolution of the 1970s. Several prominent overseas investors have already committed to attending the conference.
