Elise Barker

Elise Barker is the Associate Director for Advanced Manufacturing and Enabling Technologies within the Strategic Partnerships Office at The University of Queensland. She leads high-impact collaborations that align world-class research with government priorities and industry needs, driving innovation, policy development, and capability building.

With over two decades of experience across Australia and the UK, Elise has held senior roles in Queensland Government, the justice sector, and higher education. As Innovation Manager at the Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute at Cardiff University, she established and led the operations of a new interdisciplinary innovation institute focused on artificial intelligence, open-source intelligence, counter-disinformation, violence, and policing. Her work involved deep engagement with academia, government, defence, law enforcement, and international partners.

Elise is passionate about fostering research-driven solutions to complex challenges and brings a strategic, collaborative approach to building cross-sector partnerships with real-world impact.