Hunter businesses and organisations can now apply to become partners in the 2026 Hunter Innovation Festival, giving them an opportunity to take a more active role in the event and connect with the region’s innovation community.
Partnerships opened on 29 September for the festival, which will return to NEX Newcastle on Tuesday 24 November.
Now in its 24th year, the Hunter Innovation Festival brings together founders, researchers, industry and other organisations working across the region’s changing economy.
Energy is one of the industry areas being covered by this year’s festival, alongside manufacturing, health and aerospace, with the organisers describing the November event as bringing together people working across innovation and new-energy enterprise.
More than 600 people attended the festival in 2025.
Different levels of involvement
A limited number of $3,000 Innovation Partnerships are being offered for organisations wanting a presence at the Newcastle event.
The package includes two festival passes and two exhibitor passes, exhibition space at NEX, a profile through the festival’s event app and editorial and social media coverage.
Organisations looking for greater involvement can also discuss Festival Partner and larger program-wide partnership arrangements.
Festival Partners can host or anchor individual sessions, while the highest partnership level provides opportunities to become involved in major discussions and the festival’s regional roadshows.
The partnership call provides another route into the festival for Hunter organisations beyond attending as delegates or exhibitors.
Festival reaches beyond Newcastle
This year’s program is also extending beyond the main Newcastle event through a series of regional roadshows.
The Maitland Roadshow will be held at Rutherford on Wednesday 30 September, with industrial technology and the energy transition among its themes.
University of Newcastle researcher and Allegro Energy co-founder Professor Thomas Nann is among the featured speakers, bringing a local battery technology and commercialisation perspective to the program.
A further roadshow will be held in Muswellbrook on Wednesday 7 October at the STEM Innovation Lab at The Melt.
The regional events lead into the main Hunter Innovation Festival at NEX Newcastle on 24 November, where organisers expect more than 600 founders, researchers, industry representatives and decision-makers to attend.
More than 60 speakers and 30 exhibitors are expected to take part.
Organisations interested in a 2026 partnership can now register their interest or contact Hunter Innovation Festival to discuss the available options.
