JASMINE VREUGDENBURG

Jasmine Vreugdenburg

Deputy Director-General at Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Jasmine Vreugdenburg is a passionate leader with more than 20 years’ experience helping innovation ecosystems thrive—across government, universities, and the startup world. Her work has focused on everything from research commercialisation and startup acceleration to building innovation hubs and attracting investment, all with the goal of turning big ideas into real-world impact.

She’s currently the Deputy Director of Innovation at Queensland’s Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation, where she helps shape the state’s innovation economy.

In this role, she leads programs and policy that support deep tech, research commercialisation, and future-focused industries. Before that, Jasmine led the Innovation Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast, where she helped refocus the centre’s model to better support founders and high-growth ventures. She also founded the Innovation & Collaboration Centre at the University of South Australia, launching successful accelerator programs like Venture Catalyst and Venture Catalyst Space—backing more than 150 startups that have gone on to raise over $86 million.

Earlier in her career, Jasmine worked in research commercialisation at UniSA Ventures and held senior policy roles in the South Australian Government, contributing to key initiatives in science, health, and infrastructure.

Jasmine is known for her collaborative approach, strategic thinking, and hands-on leadership style. She’s driven by a genuine belief in the power of innovation to create lasting social and economic change.