"Inspire and be inspired" was the message echoing through the Te Pae Convention Centre as the annual Smart Christchurch Innovation Expo kicked off on Sunday.
The free two-day event showcased the latest cutting-edge ideas and technological breakthroughs, showcasing the regions greatest minds helping to shape a smarter future for the garden city.
Up to 10,000 people came to view about 60 interactive exhibitions featured at the event, ranging from climate change initiatives to robotics, even hosting gaming and virtual reality workshops.
Smart Christchurch City Initiatives lead and expo organiser Grace de Leon said Christchurch and Canterbury had a lot of great minds, and great innovators.
"We have a lot of, at the moment challenges and shortage of skills so we hope that when kids are walking around.. and it doesn't only apply with kids, it's also with adults like when they walk around this is their opportunity to be inspired about the latest innovations."
She said the expo was a vibrant platform for fostering collaboration amongst like-minded individuals, with organisers hoping the large-scale event will help inspire the next generation of inventors.
- By Geoff Sloan, Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
