UNE SMART Region Incubator

Name: UNE SMART Region Incubator
Address: 122 Faulkner Street, Armidale, NSW, 2350, AU
Telephone: +61482949684

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Armidale, NSW
UNE SMART Region Incubator

Empowering innovation across the New England North West through dynamic startup support, collaborative workspaces, and inclusive community engagement.

Driving regional prosperity through diverse programs that help entrepreneurs connect, grow, and scale.

30/03/2026

The Future of Wellbeing & Health - a Futures Series Event… is coming up on 24th April.

And it’s not another boring convention, we promise.

This is a day to get you thinking, making connections and hearing from people who are shaping the future of health care right now… it’s part workshop, but TedX - style keynote, part conference - but without the boring bits.

You’ll hear from innovators and founders creating new service models, building products and using AI for good, surrounded by other people who, like you, care about the future of health in our region and other regional communities.

24th April 2026
9am - 4pm
Department of Rural Health Building, Tamworth Hospital
Tickets on Eventbrite - include all talks and workshops, morning tea and lunch

We’d love to see you there 🙏🫶

06/03/2026

And here it is, the fifth and final instalment in our Women of the UNE SMART Region Incubator series, ahead of International Women’s Day this Sunday, 9th March.

Today, we’re introducing Tamworth-based founder Sewa of

Across our SRI and NOVA ecosystem, more than half of our founders are women... women who are building businesses that support communities, innovating and strengthening industries, and creating opportunities across the New England North West.

Through E.S Emojong Consultancy, Sewa partners with organisations across regional NSW to deliver youth and community development projects, consultations and capacity-building initiatives designed to strengthen communities and amplify local voices.

We’re so proud to have Sewa as part of the SRI community and to And here it is, the fifth and final instalment in our Women of the UNE SMART Region Incubator series, ahead of International Women’s Day this Sunday, 9th March. Today, we’re introducing Tamworth-based founder Sewa of E.S Emojong Consultancy.

Across our SRI and NOVA ecosystem, more than half of our founders are women... women who are building businesses that support communities, innovating and strengthening industries, and creating opportunities across the New England North West.

Through E.S Emojong Consultancy, Sewa partners with organisations across regional NSW to deliver youth and community development projects, consultations and capacity-building initiatives designed to strengthen communities and amplify local voices.

We’re so proud to have Sewa as part of the SRI community and to share her story as the final feature in this week’s series 🌸🫶

05/03/2026

Ready, set and…. onto Day 4 of our Women of the UNE SMART Region Incubator series in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March🫶

Across the SRI and NOVA ecosystem, more than half of our founders are women. They are building businesses across health, coaching, agriculture, creative enterprise and professional services, often balancing that work alongside family life, community commitments and everything else that comes with running a business in regional Australia.

Today, we’re introducing Tamworth-based founder Karen Weller of a long-time business owner and valued member of the SRI community.

With a background spanning agribusiness, financial and office management, Karen has spent decades supporting small businesses through administrative systems, business support, and writing services that help people gain clarity, focus, and time to do what they do best.

Her work reflects something we see across many of our female founders: practical expertise, a strong work ethic and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.

Swipe through to read Karen’s story 🙌🌸

04/03/2026

Welcome to the third instalment of our Women of the UNE SMART Region Incubator series in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March…. A series celebrating the women who contribute to the strength and spirit of our wider community.

Our ecosystem extends beyond SRI founders alone. It includes the people working alongside them, the mentors, collaborators, advisors and community leaders who bring varied knowledge, experiences and perspectives.

Today, we’re introducing Carol Vane, founder of Murawin, a valued permanent resident of NOVA.

Murawin is a First Nations-owned and family-led consultancy driven by a commitment to breaking cycles of disadvantage and amplifying initiatives that create stronger futures for Indigenous Australians and other marginalised communities.

The name Murawin comes from the Dunghutti language, meaning “to be educated, and be responsible with that education.” ... perfectly capturing the work Carol leads, and the values that underpin it.

We’re proud to have Carol as part of the NOVA community and to share a little of her story today 🌸🙌

03/03/2026

Day 2 of our Women of the UNE SMART Region Incubator series in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March - a collection of stories highlighting the women shaping our ecosystem of business owners.

Our community is made up of founders building across New England and North West, metropolitan NSW and sometimes across continents…!

Today, we’re introducing Chloe Spillane, known to many as , an Armidale-based founder (who also works from New York City for part of the year), and a permanent NOVA resident.

Across health, agriculture, coaching, creative enterprise and community leadership, more than half of our founders are women. They are building serious ventures, contributing to our regional economy, and are integral members of our broader SRI and NOVA community.

Swipe through to read Chloe’s story 🌸🙌

02/03/2026

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, we’re taking the week to celebrate the women who are building, leading and contributing to the UNE SMART Region Incubator and NOVA communities.

More than half of our founder base is female.

And when you stop and think about that for a moment, you realise it says something important about the strength and direction of innovation in our region, innovation that looks like women:

- building health services that support families.

- developing practical tools for neurodivergent children and families.

- leading community programs, coaching businesses, creative enterprises and technology ventures — often alongside family life, study, paid work and everything else that life requires.

These are not hobby projects… they are thoughtful and intentional businesses born from experience, expertise and a desire to create meaningful impact.

In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re launching our Women of the UNE SMART Region Incubator series — five stories across five days, highlighting just a handful of the remarkable women in our ecosystem.

To kick things off, meet Bec, our Tamworth-based Founder of 🙌🌸

24/02/2026

Thinking about starting a business, but not sure where to begin?

👋 That’s exactly why we created HATCH

HATCH is our flagship startup program designed to help you explore your idea, build confidence, and connect with a supportive community….

After the HATCH workshop, you’ll be invited to continue your journey through our follow-on masterclasses…covering everything from foundations and customer discovery to pricing and marketing.

We have 2 HATCH cohorts for 2026

📌 Armidale, first session 28th February NOVA (there are a limited number of places still available for this cohort)

📌 Tamworth, July dates TBC

If you have an idea you want to explore or just want to see if entrepreneurship is for you, HATCH is the perfect place to start. And we’d love to have you!

Register via the events link in our bio or DM us HATCH for more info 😊

16/02/2026

Our first NOVA Open Evening of 2026 brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, and professionals from across the community.
From intimate meeting rooms to premium coworking spaces and our professional event venues – we showcased how NOVA’s innovation ecosystem can supercharge your operations and build meaningful networks.
We’re excited to announce that our NOVA Membership is now available! Whether you’re flying solo, leading a team, or exploring what’s next, there’s something here for you. Designed to provide flexible workspace, professional development opportunities, and connection with our thriving regional business network. For more information, please contact us.
Stay tuned for more events coming soon!

24/11/2025

💚‘Stand with the Land’Part One 💚

We love days like this - ones where there’s plenty of expertise, fresh ideas, good people, connections over coffee…

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for National Ag Day 2025 at UNE Armidale.

The energy, the conversations, the thinking-in-common, the spirit of ‘we’re in this together’ we felt last Friday 21st November - this is exactly what we aim to do with our Futures Series events.

A big thanks to our wonderful speakers and panellists:

🔸Rachel Lawrence (NSW Local Land Services)
🔸Angela Hammond ( Landcare Agriculture)
🔸Hugh Killen (Impact Ag Australia)
🔸Todd Redwood (British Standards Institution)
🔸Rob Hulme ()
🔸Connor FitzGerald (FMG Global) — lunch keynote
🔸Moderator: Renée Grogan (JANA Investment Advisors)

Through short talks and a fascinating panel discussion, we explored natural capital from supply chains to farm practice, markets and measurement, biodiversity, sustainability, global markets and more.

The group then split for tours and swapped so everyone could see both the Methane Emissions Chambers and Soil Science facilities on campus at UNE. A big thank you to the generous UNE researchers and team for opening labs and answering every question!

A special thank you to Sam Duncan ( Entrepreneur in Residence and Founder of GexLabs) for helping line up our speakers.

For capturing every moment beautifully and being forever reliable, thank you 📸

And to everyone who travelled, asked questions, shared ideas, and stayed for one more chat over great coffee and lunch - thank you 💚

If you were there, we’d love to know what’s one thing, one idea, you’re taking back to your work?

03/11/2025

It’s on again....National Ag Day 🌱🥩🚜 🌏

Our annual UNE SRI Ag Day Futures Series is happening: Fri 21 Nov - this year, the theme is “Stand with the Land”

8:30 am–1:30 pm at the Wright Centre, UNE Armidale… and you’re invited.

Join us for a morning where farmers, researchers, and industry leaders share short, punchy talks, compare notes across sectors, and open up the kind of conversation that changes how you see the next few years in food, biodiversity and farming.

Speakers:

Connor Fitzgerald - Chief Commercial Officer FMG
Topic: Managing sustainability in McDonald’s supply chain

Hugh Killen - CEO Impact Ag Australia
Topic: The importance of understanding natural capital on farm

Rachel Lawrence - NSW Local Land Services
Topic: Environmental market opportunities and risks for farmers

Todd Redwood - Global Managing Director British Standards Institution
Topic: Sustainability in food and fibre - emerging trends

Ang Hammond, Landcare Ag Program leader, Landcare Agriculture
Topic: Natural capital on-farm: why it matters, how to measure it + improve it

Big-picture themes made clear: climate, conflict, supply chains, food security, natural capital.

Short talks first, a cross-industry panel next, and real conversation over lunch.

Meet people you’ll want to keep talking with long after the morning ends.

Details: Tickets are $85 and all inclusive - morning tea on arrival, a day of talks and panels + lunch + networking

Seats are limited. Secure your ticket via Eventbrite - linked in bio

We can’t wait to see you there🙌

29/10/2025

Youth Innovation Summit Part Two: The Ideas + Winners

After a full day of collaboration, creativity and pitching, teams presented their solutions to real problems — from improving rural health access to rethinking how we care for animals, people, and the planet.

✨ Ideas included:
• Katara Health — a digital women’s health platform connecting young women with female clinicians.

• Path Academy — a parenting education and support platform for families of teens.

• Virtual Vet — AI-enabled virtual consults to support livestock health and farmer wellbeing.

• Pollitracker — an automated greenhouse pollination system to cut manual labour.

• A robotic pest-control solution with detection camera and targeted spray mechanism.

• An instant soil-testing probe + AI app for quick, in-field nutrient insights.

• Hyperspectral imaging goggles for early pest/disease detection in greenhouse crops.

🏆 Prize winners:

• Overall Winner: Path Academy – Armidale Secondary College

• Runner-Up: Virtual Vet – Armidale Secondary College

• Best Pitch: Katara Health – Armidale Secondary College

• Most Innovative Idea: Pollitracker – Narrabri High School

We were so so impressed with the effort from every team — all making for a tough job for our judges Prof. Chris Moran, Chloe Spillane from , and Sam Duncan from

Thanks also to all our UNE Founders who helped mentored students including Sam from Heidi McElnea from Inclusive Communications and Sewa Emojong - we couldn’t have done it without you!

Address

122 Faulkner Street
Armidale, NSW
2350

Telephone

+61482949684

Website

http://www.unesri.com.au/

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