Peter Woodgate

Dipl. ForSc (UMelb), BSc (UMelb), M. Appl. Sc (UNSW)

Honorary Principal Fellow

Biography

Peter has over 20 years' professional and academic experience in a range of disciplines spanning the pure and life sciences, engineering, business, public policy and administration. These contributions have driven significant changes in land allocation, landscape management and resource policy at the Commonwealth and State and Territory level, and have strongly influenced government training, education and R&D investments in sustainable resource management.

Peter was previously CEO of RMIT's Geospatial Science Initiative (1999-2003). During this period, Peter was responsible for a number of significant developments that included helping establish RMIT University's first spin-off company, Spatial Vision Innovations Pty Ltd; the creation of the Risk and Community Safety Research Centre in partnership with Emergency Management Australia and the Australian National University; the establishment of the Global Sustainability Institute, and working as a foundation member of UNESCO's new Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere Reserve, a partnership between the Commonwealth, state and local governments and many local community groups and businesses.

Prior to this, Peter was CEO of Natural Resource Systems Corporation (1996 - 1999) where he was charged with the responsibility for transforming four distinct units (over 80 staff) of the public service into a profitable and successful Victorian government-owned corporation. During this period he also led several important research projects (involving many academic and professional staff) at the national level (eg. National Airborne Geophysics Program to map dry-land salinity) on behalf of Commonwealth and State and Territory governments.

He has over 17 years' experience as a geospatial science and natural resources researcher.

Peter is currently undertaking a Doctorate of Business Administration at RMIT University by both course work and thesis. The course-work concentrates on issues of strategic management and his thesis is on "Commercialising innovative ideas: factors that enhance innovation and factors that impede innovation."

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