UQ Business School’s Professor Mark Dodgson was last night awarded the prestigious ATSE Clunies Ross Eureka Prize for Leadership in Business Innovation.
Widely seen as Australia’s most important science prizes, the Eureka Prizes were established in 1990 by the Australian Museum to reward excellence in the fields of research and innovation, science leadership, school science, and science journalism and communication.
Professor Dodgson, who has been researching innovation for more than 20 years, said he was thrilled to be one of the few non-scientists to win a Eureka Prize.
“Innovation is about taking the great science the Eureka Prize celebrates and turning it into products and processes that will make Australia competitive in the global economy,” he said.
“But we need to understand that innovation is not just something that is important for people in white coats in laboratories and a few manufacturing firms. It is important for every person, every firm, and every public sector organisation.
“It will take leadership in innovation across the board if we are to solve the pressing problems of the day in energy, health and the environment.”
Professor Dodgson said he was convinced Australia could be an innovation leader if innovation was placed firmly at the forefront of the national social and political consciousness.
UQ Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Hay, AC, congratulated Professor Dodgson.
“The award of this prestigious national prize shows how the internationally-accredited UQ Business School is deeply engaged with leaders in business and government in shaping the future of Australian industry,” he said.
Celebrating Dodgson’s win at the awards ceremony last night was UQ Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Greenfield, AO.
Professor Greenfield, who will take over as UQ Vice-Chancellor in January, 2008, said Professor Dodgson’s Eureka Prize was a credit to the UQ Business School.
“This award shows that business schools don’t have to choose to be either research-intensive or strongly linked to the practical needs of corporate Australia – in fact, the one leads to the other,” Professor Greenfield said.
The Head of the UQ Business School, Professor Tim Brailsford, said Professor Dodgson’s award vindicated the School’s strategic push over the past few years to recognise the needs of business in the creation of innovation leaders.
“Indeed, the new MBA at UQ, to be launched for 2008, includes a core course on Innovation Leadership designed by Mark,” Professor Brailsford said.
“This distinctive advantage sets UQ apart from the many MBAs on offer.”
Despite a clear-eyed understanding of the challenges ahead, Professor Dodgson said he remained hopeful about Australia’s future.
“Australia is an optimistic country; that is its greatest virtue,” he said.
“While the legacy of the past 10 years – the ‘short-termism’ and complacency towards the future, the longing for the past – has been very damaging, we have the capacity to become more forward-looking, optimistic, and innovative.
“And when we do, great things will happen.”
Images: For high-resolution photographs of Professor Dodgson, please visit: http://omc.uq.edu.au/images/Dodgson/
Media inquiries: Cathy Stacey (telephone 3365 6179 or 0434 074 372).
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