Think Tanks

A think tank is an opportunity for participants to address a specific issue in a structured, interactive workshop. There is a formal agenda set by the facilitator. Specific group activities and exercises are incorporated to stimulate cross-fertilization of ideas and to allow for participants to problem-solve approaches to common problems.

Our facilitator will set an agenda and expectations for session outcomes (this is what we will cover and this is what we hope you will come away with).  They will manage manages the group discussion dynamics, engage all group members in the discussion, summarize and conclude discussion.

As a participant we want you to ask a question when you have one, feel free to share an illustration, request an example if a point is not clear, search for ways in which you can apply a general principle or idea to your work, and think of ways you can pass on ideas to your subordinates.

Simulation Australia will be holding two think tanks at SimTecT 2012 focusing on:

Intellectual Property

This think tank will raise awareness of the significant Intellectual Property rights issues that affect Modeling and Simulation. It will provide presentations by IP facilitators relevant to academics, industry, and international participants. There will be ongoing workshops held to produce an online guide that will be helpful to Government Organisations, and industry as IP issues are addressed in legislation, acquisition programs, program offices, and similar.


Encouraging New Generations into the Industry

In 2007/08 the board of the Simulation Industry Association of Australia – the precursor to Simulation Australia – sponsored a project to investigate suitable approaches for encouraging young people to consider a career in the simulation industry. The “Simulation Career Promotion Project” highlighted the need for Simulation Australia and the simulation community to be proactive in encouraging new generations into simulation careers. This project also identified a number of strategies that could be employed to achieve this goal. With potential skills shortages likely to impact on the availability of suitably qualified simulation professionals, an ageing workforce and the requirement to prepare for industry expansion into new domains; this Think Tank has been convened to consider the challenge, survey the options and to obtain your input on this critical issue. Simulation Australia invites you to participate in this forum to make a contribution to agreeing the best strategies and activities for attracting new talent to simulation-related careers.

 

8:30am –
12.00pm

Intellectual Property

This think tank will raise awareness of the significant Intellectual Property rights issues that affect Modeling and Simulation. It will provide presentations by IP facilitators relevant to academics, industry, and international participants. There will be ongoing workshops held to produce an online guide that will be helpful to Government Organisations, and industry as IP issues are addressed in legislation, acquisition programs, program offices, and similar.

To register, please click here.

Facilitator

Dr Kate Andrews
Principal Consultant, Knowable

Dr Kate Andrews works in organisational knowledge development.  She developed and leads a Masters Level subject on this topic for QUT and Defence Materiel Organisation in the Masters of Complex Project Management (Canberra and Brisbane). Since 2007, Kate has operated specialist knowledge asset consultancy KNOWABLE (knowable.com.au).  Her clients include many large engineering organisations. Recent assignments include intellectual property audits for major universities, and assessment of an infrastructure organisation’s research and development portfolio. Kate holds a doctorate (QUT, 2000) for research in knowledge intensive firms and she is a registered organisational psychologist.

Presenters

John MacPhail
Partner, IP & Technology, Finlaysons Lawyers

John heads the IP & Technology practice at Finlaysons Lawyers.  He has over 25 years’ experience acting for and advising clients over a wide range of industries including media, communications, telco and ICT, advertising and manufacturing.  John joined Finlaysons in 2006.  Before that he worked for major (including 'magic circle') law firms in London, Sydney and Melbourne in all aspects of IP/IT law. He has advised on transactions including sales and purchases of businesses and companies, floats and takeovers, licensing and joint venture arrangements, and has also run major litigation involving patents, trade marks, copyright and designs.
 

Mr Mark A. Phillips
Chief Architect for Research & Development, CTO office of Global Training and Logistics, Lockheed Martin

Mr. Mark Phillips served in the Australian Army for 20 years in various capacities, the last two being Chief Engineer Combat Simulation (96-97) and Staff Officer Training Technology (98 - 99) at Headquarters Training Command. In late 2000, he was recruited as a Senior Research Scientist to Old Dominion University in the US to complete an Office of Naval Research (ONR) project called Virtual Environments for Training (VET).  On Feb 14, 2011, he joined Lockheed Martin as the Chief Architect for Research and Development in the CTO office of Global Training and Logistics. Mr. Phillips has served on various government and academic advisory and technical committees. He holds a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering (honours) from the University of New South Wales and a Masters degree in Engineering (modeling and simulation) from Old Dominion University.


Mr Ryan Stephenson
Managing Director, Bohemia Interactive

Ryan is an intellectual property and commercial lawyer who specialises in technology and media related work. He spent the first 5 years of his career as an in-house lawyer for two of Britain’s leading television production companies. He took up a role with Australia’s Southern Star Group in 2003 and then spent several years in private practice in Sydney before taking up his current role as Legal and Commercial Manager for the Bohemia Interactive Group of Companies in 2010. In January 2011 was also appointed as Managing Director for Bohemia Interactive Australia, the Asia-Pacific arm of the group.

 

1:00pm –
4.30pm

Encouraging New Generations into the Industry

In 2007/08 the board of the Simulation Industry Association of Australia – the precursor to Simulation Australia – sponsored a project to investigate suitable approaches for encouraging young people to consider a career in the simulation industry. The “Simulation Career Promotion Project” highlighted the need for Simulation Australia and the simulation community to be proactive in encouraging new generations into simulation careers. This project also identified a number of strategies that could be employed to achieve this goal. With potential skills shortages likely to impact on the availability of suitably qualified simulation professionals, an ageing workforce and the requirement to prepare for industry expansion into new domains; this Think Tank has been convened to consider the challenge, survey the options and to obtain your input on this critical issue. Simulation Australia invites you to participate in this forum to make a contribution to agreeing the best strategies and activities for attracting new talent to simulation-related careers.

To register, please click here.

Facilitator

Mr Shane Garrett
Learning & Development Officer, Simulation Australia

Shane Garrett served as an Education Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and then worked in consulting, account and sales management roles.  He has designed, delivered, project managed and evaluated training projects for a number of public and private sector organisations. Many of these projects have focused on competency based training and assessment linked to Australian Quality Training Framework standards as well as flexible learning strategies. Since July 2004 Shane has been the part-time Learning and Development Officer for the SIAA and now Simulation Australia.

Presenters

Mr Rob Carpenter
Deputy Director Simulation Development, Army Simulation Group

Rob provides world's best practise expert knowledge on the utility and employment of simulation for the Australian Army and Defence as a whole. Rob is an experienced leader who is currently responsible for the development of Army's simulation capability by managing a team of project managers responsible for the Live, Virtual, Constructive and data lines of development. His team includes project support and configuration management personnel. Specific projects include the Introduction of OneSAF into Australia, the Virtual Immersive Combat Environment (VBS2 and Steel Beasts), the Weapon Training Simulation System and the Tactical Language and Cultural training software project. Prior projects include introduction of JSAF into Australia, the acquisition of the VBS "Gold licence" (which was the first time this method was used, now followed by the UK and US Armies), the Aircrewman Virtual Reality System, the acquisition of Steel Beasts, the acquisition of TACOPS, the acquisition of Harpoon3 and the acquisition and development of multimedia learning packages using Uncommon Valor and Combat Mission: Afrika Korps. His main areas of interest are in the employment of games and serious games technology for military applications and constructive simulation.

Ben Kilsby
Chief Executive Officer, Holopoint Interactive

Ben Kilsby is the co-founder and CEO of Holopoint Interactive who are an Adelaide based simulation and serious game developer. Ben has worked extensively at Holopoint to create a number of interactive developments for a diverse range of industry sectors including transport, security, music tuition, healthcare, mining and most recently defence. He is a passionate advocate of serious game developments and has a strong interest in developing a future capability in the interactive space. Ben has demonstrated this in the founding of The Indie Games Room in 2007 and his numerous appointments in state level round tables, steering committees and advisory boards.

Professor Rob Morrison OAM
Professorial Fellow, School of Education, Flinders University

Rob has been a university scientist and, for forty years, a science writer and science broadcaster on television and radio. He co-hosted the national television program Curiosity Show, which screened in 14 countries. He was the science correspondent for Channel Ten TV News and produced TV science segments on NEXUS for the Australia Network. Rob has written 43 books and dozens of articles on science and natural history, one of which, a Field Guide to the Tracks and Traces of Australian Animals, led to his appointment as an expert witness for the Morling Enquiry into the Chamberlain Convictions. He has been awarded two Eureka Prizes (including the Australian Government Eureka Prize for the Promotion of Science), the Michael Daley Award for Science Journalism, and the inaugural South Australian Government Award for Excellence in Science Communication. In 2004, he was awarded the Order of Australia for Science Communication and Conservation. Rob is Chair or a member of many Boards and Councils of environment and conservation organisations, and was the South Australian Senior Australian of the Year for 2008.