EVERY great city is built on great ideas. The difference is whether those ideas are given the chance to grow.
That was the challenge at the heart of this week’s Fremantle Innovation Exchange, a new initiative proudly delivered by the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce with the support of Meshpoints and Spacecubed. Across three months, the Exchange is bringing together founders, innovators, investors, creatives and entrepreneurs to explore the industries shaping Western Australia’s future, all centred around one simple but powerful question: How do we create the conditions for ideas to flourish?
For too long, creativity has been viewed as something separate from business. A nice extra. A cultural luxury. Something that sits outside the boardroom. Nothing could be further from the truth.
• Cr Mel Clark, Pete Stone (City of Fremantle), me, Pippa Hurst (DesignFreo), Sarah Booth (SPACEMRKT) and Tim Meakins (Artist/Designer)
The creative industries are one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. They generate jobs, attract investment, inspire tourism, revitalise precincts and breathe life into places that would otherwise sit empty. More importantly, they solve problems differently. Creativity is innovation’s closest relative.
One of our speakers, Sarah Booth from SPACEMRKT, reminded us that the real challenge is not whether Fremantle has creative talent. We unquestionably do. The challenge is whether we create an environment where that talent can stay, grow and succeed. Her stories were compelling. Vacant buildings transformed into thriving creative enterprises. Underused spaces becoming places people want to gather. New funding models that allow organisations to own their future instead of merely surviving another grant round.
These are not simply arts projects. They are examples of innovation in action. One idea shared that particularly resonated with me. Rather than asking how much revenue creativity generates, perhaps we should first ask how much joy it creates. Because when communities become more vibrant, connected and attractive, investment, visitation and economic activity naturally follow.
That philosophy feels unmistakably Fremantle. Our city has never succeeded by trying to look like somewhere else. Its strength has always come from its independent spirit. From people willing to back unconventional ideas. From businesses prepared to take calculated risks. From creatives who continue to imagine what could exist rather than accepting what already does.
Our interview guests reinforced this beautifully. Through design, storytelling, digital media, local government and public art, each guest demonstrated that innovation rarely happens inside neat boxes. It happens when different disciplines collide, when people collaborate and when communities give ideas room to evolve.
Sometimes innovation is a podcast connecting a community. Sometimes it is an artist reimagining public spaces. Sometimes it is a designer reshaping how we experience a city. Sometimes it is a council willing to trial a new idea rather than saying no because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
Perhaps that is the greatest lesson. Innovation is less about invention than it is about mindset. Cities that thrive are not necessarily the wealthiest. They are the ones that create opportunities for experimentation. They become places where entrepreneurs, creatives and investors all feel they have permission to try something new.
As a Chamber of Commerce, we see this every day. Small businesses are constantly innovating. They adapt, pivot, collaborate and solve problems at remarkable speed. They are designing new products, embracing digital technology, creating memorable customer experiences and finding opportunities where others see obstacles. Creativity and commerce are not competing forces. They are partners.
That is exactly why we created the Fremantle Innovation Exchange. Our ambition extends well beyond hosting a series of conversations. We want to strengthen Fremantle’s innovation ecosystem by connecting founders with investors, businesses with collaborators and ideas with opportunities. We want to showcase the remarkable people already building extraordinary things here while inviting others to become part of that story.
The conversations started won’t end when the chairs are packed away. They should continue in our cafés, our workshops, our offices, our studios, our boardrooms and around kitchen tables. Because innovation is rarely one big breakthrough. More often, it is hundreds of conversations, collaborations and courageous decisions that gradually reshape a city.
Fremantle has always been a place that does things differently. The opportunity before us now is to be the place where bold ideas are welcomed, creativity is valued and innovation is given every chance to succeed.
If we can achieve that together, the best chapters of Fremantle’s story won’t be behind us. They’ll still be waiting to be written.
by CHRISSIE MAUS
CEO
Fremantle Chamber of Commerce