Across two dynamic days, the ITAC Conference builds momentum around one clear idea: this is a defining moment for innovation in aged care.
Across two dynamic days, the ITAC Conference builds momentum around one clear idea: this is a defining moment for innovation in aged care. The program moves from purpose-led leadership and human-rights-based approaches to AI, through practical examples of digital transformation, collaboration and connected systems, to bold global perspectives on healthy ageing. Sessions balance ethics with action, exploring how technology can strengthen trust, empower the workforce, enable care in the home, protect data, and deliver genuinely person-centred outcomes.
Captivating speakers, engaging content and a high-energy, future-focused finale imagining aged care decades from now will challenge delegates to think differently, ask the big questions and leave inspired to act.
Anticipation begins even earlier with the Leading for Innovation Summit designed to set the tone before the conference officially opens. This curated gathering brings leaders together for sharper conversation, shared insight and forward-looking discussion creating space to connect, reflect and inspire before diving into the full conference experience. Together, the summit and conference offer a compelling journey of ideas, innovation and impact for those shaping the future of aged care.
Speaker Highlights
Prepare to be inspired by a powerful lineup of international keynote speakers bringing bold ideas, global perspectives, and high-impact insights to ITAC Conference 2026. From the future of AI and human rights, to global ageing policy and sector-wide transformation, these voices will challenge assumptions and expand how we think about innovation in aged care.
Dr Kobi Leins
International Lawyer in Digital Ethics, Disarmament and Human Rights
Gregor Sneddon
Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing
Dr Donald Macaskill
Chief Executive, Scottish Care
| Leading for Innovation Summit | |
|---|---|
| 10.30am | Leading for Innovation Summit Step into a day designed to stretch your thinking and reimagine what’s possible in aged care. This is not a traditional summit—it’s an immersive experience where innovation becomes tangible through interactive sessions and insights from visionary leaders. You’ll explore fresh ideas, challenge assumptions and gain new perspectives on leadership, technology, and the future of care. The summit brings together forward‑thinking peers and industry pioneers to spark curiosity, inspire bold action and equip you to lead meaningful change. Don’t just hear about the future of aged care—experience it, shape it and leave energised to drive it forward. The program immerses you in global and outside‑sector thinking, with sessions exploring how healthy ageing is being advanced worldwide, how collective intelligence can drive sector‑wide innovation and how next‑generation workforce models are emerging across industries leading digital transformation. The Leading with Innovation Summit is offered as a premium optional add-on to ITAC. Delegates may choose to attend for an additional $325 when registering for the ITAC Conference, or $399 for those attending the Summit only. |
| 10am | Morning Tea and Welcome |
| 10.15am | NASA4D: Mission‑Driven Innovation for Aged Care Leaders This immersive session adapts NASA’s 4D innovation approach to help leaders explore their own leadership assumptions, biases and default patterns. Through hands‑on activities, reflective prompts and experiential exercises, participants embark on an “inner space” mission—using the Define, Discover, Design and Deliver stages to examine how they lead, how they respond to uncertainty and how their assumptions shape innovation within their teams and organisations. |
| 11.15am | Longevity Unlocked: Closing the Health Span Gap – A Global Conversation Facilitator: Tom Symondson, CEO, Ageing Australia This dynamic, audience‑driven session brings together international leaders in ageing, innovation and health system reform to explore one of the biggest challenges of our time: closing the gap between life span and health span. Through an engaging mix of Q&A, fishbowl dialogue and light debate, speakers will examine what it takes for people not just to live longer, but to live well—drawing on global best practice, research insights and bold system‑level innovations. |
| 12.15pm | Neurotechnology and Human Rights: Ethics at the Edge of Innovation As neurotechnology advances at a rapid pace, new possibilities are emerging to better understand, monitor and support the human brain. From devices that can detect neurological changes to technologies that may enhance cognitive function, these innovations hold significant promise for health, wellbeing and care. Yet they also raise profound ethical and human rights questions. This session explores the complex intersection of neurotechnology, ethics and human rights at a time when the boundaries between mind, machine and data are becoming increasingly blurred. It will examine key considerations around privacy, autonomy, consent and the protection of cognitive liberty, while reflecting on how emerging technologies may reshape our understanding of personal agency and dignity. |
| 1.30pm | Unlocking Collective Intelligence: A Sector‑Wide Innovation Think Tank This highly interactive Unconference invites aged care providers to shape the conversation, surface real challenges and share practical lessons from across the sector. Instead of presentations, it uses open dialogue, live polling, and participant‑led topics to explore what drives innovation—and what holds it back. Designed to tap the sector’s collective intelligence, the session sparks cross‑provider collaboration and honest reflection. Participants will leave with new connections, fresh perspectives, and practical insights they can apply immediately—co‑created in the room. |
| 3.15pm | World Café Co‑Creating the Future Workforce: Global Ideas, Local Solutions Step into a World Café–style session shining a spotlight on one of aged care’s biggest opportunities: strengthening our workforce supply. Participants, providers and international experts will rotate through themed tables exploring how we can attract more people into the sector, open new pathways, build skills, and reimagine roles to make the most of the talent we have. Along the way, conversations will spark fresh thinking about how capability and training can evolve—even amid ongoing workforce shortages—to help grow a confident, resilient and future‑ready workforce. |
| 4.10pm | Courage to Change: Leadership Lessons From the Edge of Human Possibility This session explores what it truly takes to lead when the path forward is uncertain and the stakes are high. Drawing on powerful insights from environments where human limits are tested, offering a compelling reflection on resilience, adaptability, and the mindset required to lead through complexity and change. Through stories and practical leadership lessons, the session will examine the qualities that enable leaders to move beyond established thinking, embracing risk, inspiring confidence in others, and maintaining clarity of purpose in moments of pressure. It will challenge participants to reflect on their own leadership approach and consider how bold thinking and courageous decision-making can unlock new possibilities for their organisations and the sector. |
| 5pm | Networking Drinks |
| Day One - Wednesday 6 May 2026 | |
|---|---|
| 9am | Welcome and Opening of Conference |
| 9.05am | Welcome to Country |
| Leading with Purpose: Human Rights, Innovation and the Future of Aged Care | |
9.20am | Leading with Purpose: This is our innovation moment In his opening address, Tom Symondson, CEO of Ageing Australia, calls the sector to lead with purpose by embracing innovation as a shared responsibility that upholds human rights, dignity and trust, and delivers meaningful, people-centred outcomes for older Australians. |
9.50am | Care with Conscience: Shaping a Human‑Centred AI Future for Aged Care Kobi will explore a forward-looking vision for AI in aged care, where advanced technologies enhance care delivery, boost workforce capability, and transform the experience for older people —while keeping human connection and personalised support at the heart of innovation. |
| 10.30am | Morning Tea |
| From Evidence to Impact: Leadership and Collaboration Transforming Care for Older People | |
| 11am | Future-Proofing Care: Innovation and Collaboration to Transform Australia’s Care Economy This session explores how collaborative, research-driven innovation across technology, data and workforce design can deliver practical, scalable solutions that improve care quality, support carers, and sustainably future-proof Australia’s care economy. |
| 11.30am | Leadership That Enables: Building the Culture and Capability for Aged Care Innovation Innovation at Whiddon was never about novelty, it began with a values-led commitment to do better for people and to positively impact lives. From a values-led beginning, through a period of growth, to the deliberate systems and partnerships that now allow innovation to scale and endure. Periods of rapid change demanded swift, practical action. Guided by strong purpose and supported by trusted leadership and empowered teams, Whiddon was able to act decisively when it mattered most. At the heart of this work are deep partnerships with team members, residents, clients, communities, researchers and sector collaborators, turning lived experience into shared, research-informed solutions. These collaborations didn’t just solve immediate challenges; they strengthened Whiddon’s capability to adapt, learn and evolve. By aligning innovation with purpose, partnerships and agility, aged care can move beyond resilience alone, toward sustainable, sector-shaping transformation that positively impacts lives. |
| 12pm | Shaping a Brighter Future: Innovation, AI, and Global Collaboration for Healthy Ageing |
| 12.30pm | Lunch Break |
| Towards Connecting Systems and Care | |
| 1.30pm | The Next Horizon: The Digital Future of Aged Care This session explores how digital transformation, interoperable systems, responsible AI, and workforce capability can enable sustainable, efficient, and ethical aged care, highlighting the government’s role in partnership with providers and industry. |
| 2pm | Re‑Imagining Care Where It Matters Most: Scaling Virtual and Home‑Based Care Through Digital Innovation The session examines how virtual and home-based care, supported by digital innovation and interoperability, can enhance consumer outcomes and create a safe, scalable, and sustainable healthcare system. |
| 2.25pm | Building a Connected Aged Care System This panel explores how interoperability and seamless data exchange across government, providers, and technology vendors can create a connected health and aged care ecosystem, improve care quality and efficiency, and drive better outcomes for older Australians. Facilitator: Nick Elmitt, Head of Quality & Research Ageing Australia |
| 3.05pm | Afternoon Tea |
| Securing the Future: Cyber, Technology and Transformation in Aged Care | |
| 3.35pm | Safeguarding Trust: Building a Cyber‑Resilient Future for Australia’s Aged Care Sector This session examines how the aged care sector can build cyber resilience, safeguard sensitive data, and enable safe digital transformation by addressing evolving threats, enhancing cyber maturity, and fostering shared responsibility across government, providers, vendors, and boards. |
| 4pm | When the Breach Hits Home: Legal, Human and Operational Responses to Cybersecurity Incidents in Aged Care This panel explores how aged care organisations can respond effectively when cybersecurity breaches occur, examining legal obligations, operational strategies, and human impact to protect older Australians, staff, and organisational integrity. |
| 4.30pm | Digital Success: Lessons in Embracing Change from Leaders Who Have Done It This panel examines how aged care providers can successfully leverage technology and drive organisational transformation, highlighting leadership, culture, and data maturity as critical enablers for delivering high-quality, personalised care amid reform and workforce pressures. |
| 6.30pm | ITAC Awards Dinner Celebrate the best in aged care at the ITAC Awards Dinner which will be a night of recognition, inspiration, and connection. Join industry leaders, innovators, and peers as we honour outstanding achievements, breakthrough initiatives, and the people driving excellence across the sector. With an elegant setting, lively entertainment, and a chance to network with the brightest minds in aged care, it’s an evening not to be missed and a fitting finale to a day of innovation and collaboration. |
| Day Two - Thursday 7 May 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9am | Welcome to Day Two | |
| Shaping the Future: Ethics, Inclusion and Innovation in Aged Care | ||
| 9.05am | Ethical and Human Rights Models for Ai, Perspectives from Scotland This session explores Scotland’s ethical and human rights–based approach to AI in care, offering practical insights on implementing technology that upholds dignity, autonomy, and human connection while guiding responsible innovation in aged care. | |
| 9.45am | Inclusive by Design: Reimagining Emerging Technologies With and For Older Adults This session examines how AI and emerging technologies can be co-designed with and inclusively for older adults, highlighting ethical considerations, avoiding ageist assumptions, and ensuring tools genuinely empower and address the needs of later life. | |
| 10.05am | Aged Care Solution Market – Trends and Growth Dive into the fast‑moving aged care solutions market, where technology, data and new care models are reshaping what’s possible. This session highlights the biggest national and global trends driving growth—from AI and smart home tools to next‑gen care platforms—and challenges the audience to future‑think how Australia can accelerate innovation and strengthen its position in a rapidly expanding industry. | |
| 10.30am | Morning Tea | |
| Concurrent Sessions | ||
Building Organisational Capability to Innovate | ||
This concurrent session explores how aged care organisations can build and strengthen organisational capability, translating strategy into practice, developing workforce skills, and fostering cross-functional collaboration between clinical, quality, and technology teams to drive meaningful, innovative outcomes. | ||
11am | From Strategy to Impact: Turning Bold Ideas into Real-World Innovation in Design, the Built Environment, and Robotics This session explores how bold ideas become practical innovation in aged care through smarter and playful environmental design, the integration of technology and robotics, and genuine co design with older people and the workforce. It offers clear insights and real examples of how human centred design translates strategy into changes that improve environments, experiences and outcomes for older people and staff. | |
11.30am | Empowering People for the Digital Era: Skills, Confidence and Competency The rapid rise of generative AI highlights the growing need for a digitally confident workforce—one that understands how emerging tools work and can use them safely, ethically and effectively. This session introduces a practical capability framework to support aged care workers and leaders to build the digital, data and AI skills required to make informed decisions and confidently integrate these technologies into everyday practice. | |
12pm | Collaborating for Impact: Integrating Clinical, Quality and Technology to Accelerate Innovation In an increasingly complex aged care environment, meaningful innovation and continuous improvement can only be achieved when clinical, hospitality, quality and technology work as one system, not as separate portfolios. This session will offer leaders a clear, actionable view of how whole‑of‑organisation collaboration—supported by technology and guided by data—strengthens quality, safety and performance across aged care services. | |
| Concurrent session 2 - Innovating for Ageing Well | ||
This concurrent session explores how innovation can enhance ageing well, showcasing how assistive technologies, digital solutions, and person‑centred design can support independence, improve quality of life, and transform care for older adults. | ||
11am | Smart Homes, Safer Living: Technology Enabling Independence at Home As more older Australians choose to age in place, smart home technologies are emerging as powerful enablers of safety, independence and quality of life. This session explores how ambient sensors, wearables, connected devices and home‑based monitoring systems can provide timely insights, reduce risks, and support earlier, more proactive care. | |
11.30am | Overcoming Technology Barriers to Improve Food Experience and Nutrition for Older People Aged care kitchens face rising compliance demands but often rely on low-tech, paper-based systems and staff with limited digital confidence. Through national training, the Maggie Beer Foundation has identified digital literacy as a major barrier—but also a major opportunity. This session shares practical ways technology is being integrated into kitchens, from food safety software and digital ordering to programmable equipment and simple tools like recipe calculators and nutrition analysis. It also outlines effective supports—mobile-first learning, step‑by‑step guides, and hands‑on assistance—that help cooks and chefs build confidence. By embedding technology into everyday training, aged care kitchens can lift food quality, efficiency, and compliance while empowering staff to adopt digital tools that improve resident outcomes. | |
12pm | Blending Culture, Tech and Community: First Nations Health Innovation This session explores how technology, culture, and community‑led innovation can work together to close the health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It highlights how partnerships grounded in respect, data sovereignty, and shared leadership can reshape the future of health and aged care. By embracing First Nations ways of working—where culture and innovation move together—we can create the conditions for meaningful, lasting change. | |
| Concurrent Session 3 - Digital Maturity Workshop | ||
11am | Greg Moran, Project Manager – Digital and Data, Ageing Australia This interactive workshop guides participants through the essential foundations of digital maturity in aged care, framed as a practical journey that every provider—large or small—is navigating. Across the session, participants will explore why digital uplift matters now, what good looks like, and the concrete. | |
| 12:30pm | Lunch Break | |
| Future-Focused: Data, Insights, and Bold Visions for Aged Care | ||
| 2pm | Shaping Aged Care Through Data Insights: A Blueprint for Ageing Well This session explores how data insights can shape aged care, highlighting opportunities from national, international and cross industry examples to inform strategies that support ageing well and improve outcomes for older Australians. | |
| 2.30pm | Aged Care 2076: Wild Predictions and Bold Ideas To close the conference, we’re throwing out the rulebook and jumping 50 years into the future. This fast‑paced, fishbowl‑style finale brings together a powerhouse mix of thinkers across AI, geriatrics, service providers and robotics to imagine boldly, and maybe a little provocatively, what aged care in Australia could look like in the year 2076. This final session promises energy, laughter, and inspiration as we imagine an aged care future that’s technologically advanced, deeply human and uniquely Australian. The perfect ending to a conference about transforming care, by imagining what’s possible when we leap far beyond today. | |
| 4.00pm | Conference Close | |
| 4.00pm | Afternoon Tea | |
Please note that the conference program is subject to change at the discretion of the organisers without prior notice. We reserve the right to alter speakers, session times and topics as necessary.