iA celebrates 10 years of innovation and impact

iAccelerate Director Dr Tamantha Stutchbury reflects on 10 years of innovation and entrepreneurship

And just like that iAccelerate is celebrating 10 years. As someone who was there at the very first spark of the vision for iAccelerate, I feel immense pride at the role the iAccelerate Team has played in the growth of the innovation and startup ecosystem in the Illawarra.

Wind back to the early 2010s, UOW was graduating the largest ICT graduates of any NSW university and yet most of them left the region for work, either by relocating or commuting to Sydney every day. The vision was to ensure that we, and our children, could build local and global businesses from Wollongong. It has always been coupled with the belief that innovation is for everyone and that we would not create a homogeneous startup culture, but rather a community that welcomes all and advocates for underrepresented groups. The University of Wollongong was sector leading in envisaging iAccelerate and the $10M iAccelerate Seed fund. The local government was essential in backing our proof of concept incubator 'Start Pad’, the state government believed in the vision of a purpose build iAccelerate Centre and coupled with their support, was support from the Federal Government delivering programs to support entrepreneurs from across our region, in bushfire affected communities, First Nations Founders, Social Enterprises and Female Founders. 

What makes iAccelerate so special is the people. It is about the team who get their own professional satisfaction from seeing others succeed, it is about the startup
community that will always offer to help and the connected business community that stands behind iAccelerate Founders.

I want to thank each and every one of you for believing in iAccelerate and I am so excited to continue to build the innovation journey in Wollongong.

For ten years, iAccelerate has played a vital role in supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the Illawarra and beyond.

Established to turn ideas into impact, iAccelerate has helped founders transform research and ambition into successful, scalable businesses. It has supported startups across emerging industries, strengthened connections between research and industry, and created pathways for entrepreneurs to build confidence, capability and global reach.

Innovation precincts like iAccelerate are critical to Australia’s future. By enabling collaboration, developing skills and supporting commercialisation, iAccelerate has contributed to job creation, regional growth and a more resilient, competitive economy.
Its success reflects the strength of its partnerships - between government, education, industry and the entrepreneurial community. 
As iAccelerate celebrates this important milestone, it is an opportunity to recognise the people who have shaped its journey and the founders who continue to push boundaries. With a strong foundation and a clear vision, iAccelerate is well
positioned to lead the next decade of innovation and opportunity.
Congratulations on ten years of achievement - and on the future still to come.