A hyperlocal, real time, augmented reality app that allows users to take adventures through their city has been named the winner of the 2017 China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP), a program that brings together 100 young people over 100 days to cocreate new business ventures centered around innovation.
The winning group, City Quest, told Xinhua on Saturday after the event that the concept is "kind of like Pokemon Go and Groupon mixed together to have an awesome experience."
"There was a lot of work throughout the whole hundred day period, but every single week we were really disciplined and we came in for that three to five hours per week just hustling through," team member Chris Nheu said.
Beginning in 2015, the CAMP program was created to boost cooperation between young Australian and Chinese innovators.
CAMP founder and chief executive officer Andrea Miles said that there is a massive trend of innovation taking place in China and its Australia's responsibility to jump on board.
"It has a deep foundation, ever since British settlement here, there has been Chinese people coming, so the Chinese innovation story is actually a part of Australia's history and Australia's future," Miles said.
"When it comes to Australia's future it's not necessarily going to be categorised by resources and expensive commodities, it's going to be characterised by ideas and services and that's something that everyone can offer, everyone can get on board."
In fact, business giants Swisse and Alibaba are among some of the sponsors of the program and see CAMP as a way to celebrate youth and millennials who are driving social change in the world.
"Both countries are trying to deconstruct industries and create mini industries that are centred around individuals and around households," Swisse managing director Oliver Horn explained, adding that China and Australia are "definitely getting away from primary industries, for a number of reasons, one for example just being the environment".
Horn believes that areas like green technology, medical research, health and communication innovation will present huge opportunities for both countries moving forward.
"China has really been at the forefront of social media and the technology behind it," Horn said.
"That's a service part of the world that China can really lead and can collaborate with Australia."
Nheu echoed these sentiments and acknowledged that Australia's traditional relationship with China had been "very transactional" and based around mining and commodities
"The future belongs to the digital era and constant innovation and iteration," Nheu said.
"I think that's going to underly the future of Australia-China relations."
