Jeff Barr is the Senior Manager of Web Services Evangelism for Amazon Web Services. He manages a team consisting of himself and three other evangelists and their goal is to create excitment and awareness for the Amazon Web Services. While maintaining an intense schedule at work he still finds time to write for his personal blog and to enhance and maintain Syndic8, his 5 year old RSS Feed directory. Jeff gave a plenary talk on "Building Highly Scalable Web Applications".

James Currall will be giving a Plenary Talk on The Tangled Web is but a Fleeting Dream ... but then again... "Just a quick phone call to ask you if you could set up something to archive the University Web site, it should be pretty straight-forward for someone with your technical know-how." It is only a matter of time before someone in "Corporate Communications", the " Freedom of Information Office" or some similar department comes to you with this sort of request. How would you (have you) react(ed) to it? Many acres of virtual text have been penned on the subject of Web archiving (a fair proportion of them no longer available because the sites no longer exist:-) One of the major problems, which is well illustrated by the Wikipedia article on the subject, is that most authors have concentrated almost entirely on "How?" to do it and the (technical) difficulties that arise. The speaker will argue that "How?" is the least of your problems. What is your institutional web site for and what purpose is archiving it supposed to serve. To put it another way, the questions: "What?", "Why?", "When?" and "Where?" come well before deciding if the "Who?" is you, or trying to determine "How?". As usual Currall asks awkward questions and never seems to provide any useful answers, just turning seemingly simple problems in complex, issue-strewn minefields. He hasn't written the talk yet, but you can be sure that it will raise some very fundamental issues and give you something serious to think about and discuss and aside from manufacturing Shakespearean quotes, will probably quote from the most read book in the English Language, although you might feel the need to check that he isn't just making it up!

US-based global investment management firm, T Rowe Price (TRP), has opened a new office in Melbourne. Head of Australian business for TRP, Murray Brewer, said TRP in Australia is going from strength to strength.

President Bill Clinton, founder of the Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States and artist / activist Sir Bob Geldof will be among the high-level speakers who will join thousands of the world's top AIDS researchers, scientific and community leaders, people living with HIV and policy-makers at the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) taking place on 20-25 July in Melbourne. Their presence is set to further enhance the very strong program that has been put in place for AIDS 2014. President Clinton has a very strong track record in advocating for HIV/AIDS treatment in disadvantaged communities around the world. Sir Bob Geldof has the ability to motivate millions of people as we have seen over decades of activism. His music and such events as Live Aid and Band Aid have raised global awareness of famine and poverty.

Fonterra has opened a new A$6 million ricotta manufacturing plant in north central Victoria that will deliver global opportunities for the Victorian dairy industry. Built with $250,000 grant from the Victorian Government, the Perfect Italiano Ricotta project demonstrates Fonterra’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a presence in northern Victoria and boosts the company’s Stanhope workforce to 126.

Australia’s world ranking for biotechnology innovation jumped from seventh to fourth on Scientific American’s latest ‘Worldview’ scorecard. The publication’s scorecard provides a balanced assessment of biotechnology innovation around the world and indicated that Australia’s biotech market is undergoing a resurgence.

Wilcox Industries’ manufacturing and assembly facility in Victoria will be a joint venture with its Melbourne-based distributor and partner, Aquaterro – a leading supplier of law enforcement and defence equipment in Victoria.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has grown its Australian service locations to Melbourne. The expanded company will roll out Amazon CloudFront - a content delivery Web service that offers both businesses and developers an easy way to distribute content with low latency and high data transfer speeds.

Global ratings agency, Moody’s, has reaffirmed Australia’s AAA rating and stable outlook, consistent with recent assessments by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. Australia’s sovereign credit rating is based on the nation’s highly resilient economy, high level of government financial strength and low level of event risk.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has reaffirmed Australia's triple-A credit rating and stable economic outlook, stating that the sovereign credit ratings on Australia benefit from the country's strong institutional settings, its wealthy and resilient economy, and a high degree of monetary and fiscal policy flexibility. “These factors provide Australia with a strong ability to absorb large economic and financial shocks, as was demonstrated during the global recession in 2009,” S&P said.

Australia remains a top 10 global destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) for a third straight year after attracting US$50 billion in foreign direct investment in 2013, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2014. Over the three years to 2013, FDI flows to Australia rose nearly 55 per cent to US$171 billion from US$110 billion over the previous three years. This impressive growth has expanded Australia’s share of global FDI inflows to 3.8 per cent in 2011-13 from 2.5 per cent in 2008-10. In contrast, developed economies’ share of world FDI inflows fell to 44 per cent in 2011-13 from 53 per cent in 2008-10.

Singapore’s Fatfish Internet Group will open a new office in Melbourne to help boost its business in the Australasian region. Founded in 2011, Fatfish invests its own funds and money from the Singapore government in IT start-up companies and those in growth stage.

Fleet management service provider, TR Fleet, recently launched TR Fleet Australia – the parent company’s first venture outside the UK. The Melbourne-based manufacturing business will offer a range of services in Australia and New Zealand, including a risk management tool to help employers comply with 2015 changes to workplace health and safety regulations.

Australia’s fastest-growing city, Melbourne, has again been recognised as the best city in the world to live, topping the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2014 Global Liveability Index for the fourth year in a row.

Victoria will host an unprecedented number of international sporting, arts, cultural and trade events between 9 January and 29 March 2015 as part of the 80 Days of Melbourne initiative. A business-hosting component of the initiative is designed to attract high profile, senior international business leaders to Melbourne to secure international investment and jobs for Victoria.

Leading global consulting, technology and professional services company, Capgemini, has opened its new Melbourne Global Delivery Centre and Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud services Lab. The French multinational operates in 44 countries around the world and offers a range of integrated services in the business sector.

The Victorian Government is calling for Expressions of Interest to develop Federation Square East – an iconic site in the heart of Melbourne. Global developers are invited to respond to the EOI which will be officially released to the market on Monday 15 September 2014, presenting an exciting opportunity to create a vibrant, mixed use development that may incorporate commercial components — including shops, bars and even accommodation.

Melbourne’s dynamic environment for business has been reaffirmed by the Global Financial Centres Index 16 (report) which highlights Melbourne’s position amidst the Global Financial Centres. Melbourne is ranked sixth in the Asia-Pacific, with Sydney fifth - the top six centres all dropped in rating. Melbourne ranked 24th, which is one rating point difference between Melbourne and Sydney - an improvement of 11 points and a rank improvement of 13. Sydney, ranked 23rd, dropped eight rating points, but maintained its rank.

The Australian Government has advised that it will expand and improve the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) program to leverage and better direct foreign investment. The program will be reformed to encourage more high net worth individuals to make Australia home and will contribute to a strong and competitive economic environment.

Applications are now open for the second round of the prestigious A$1.8 million Victorian Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Program, being delivered by veski. The fellowships aim to strengthening Victoria’s innovation capabilities by enabling talented young researchers to work at world leading research centres before returning to Victoria. The Victorian Government offered six fellowships in 2013 and is again offering up to six fellowships to begin in 2015.

The expression of interest for the Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ) has officially opened. BWEZ is the Ballarat region’s engine room for jobs and economic growth over the next 20 years. Located just over an hour north-west from the Melbourne city centre, Ballarat has fantastic connections to road, rail, ports and airports and the region is home to a large, skilled and stable workforce. With an increasing population of 100,000, Ballarat is one of the largest inland cities in Australia and serves as a key access point to the other regional centres in Northern and Western Victoria.

Japanese food production company, Kaiteki Fresh has announced a new state-of-the-art hydroponic facility in Bunyip, one hour east of Melbourne. The multi-million dollar investment will be the first facility of its kind outside of Asia, and will create 40 new local jobs. Kaiteki Fresh Australia, a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, is a global leader in food production and technology.

Australia’s manufacturing sector has been given a boost with the opening of Australia’s largest additive manufacturing hub and a new world-class research facility in Melbourne. The new 3D printing additive manufacturing plant produces parts and devices for the mining, defence, bio-medical, construction, aerospace and automotive industries, in a more cost-effective way than traditional methods.

The Fu Wah International Group will establish its Australian headquarters in Melbourne, bringing 20 jobs to Victoria. A high-end real-estate development and commercial property management group based in China, the company recently took ownership of the iconic Melbourne Park Hyatt Hotel and is exploring other investment opportunities in Victoria's property and hotel sector.

Global technology supplier Finmeccanica – Selex ES will establish its Australian Naval Communications headquarters in Melbourne, creating 80 manufacturing jobs by 2019. Finmeccanica - Selex ES works across the international defence, security, aerospace, naval and transport sectors.

An additional round of veski innovation fellowships – a prestigious Victorian program to attract outstanding global leaders in science and research to Victoria – is actively seeking applications from outstanding women in science and research.

The Victorian Government has this week invited Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the delivery of 13 new schools under the $223 million New Schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The PPP will see the selected consortium finance, design and construct 13 new schools and maintain them over a 25 year period. The schools will be built in two tranches, with the first tranche opening to students in 2017 and the second in 2018. The Victorian Government will retain responsibility for teaching and curriculum, with the Government stating that the structure will allow teaching staff to focus wholly on educational outcomes.

UK packaging company LINPAC has chosen Melbourne as its Australian headquarters. The A$22 million investment will create 72 manufacturing jobs at the new headquarters in the suburb of Truganina in Melbourne’s West, and allow the company to increase its food packaging manufacturing capacity. Operating in 37 countries around the world, LINPAC is a global leader in the production of primary fresh food packaging and food service solutions.

Global food company, the Kerry Group, has announced that it will establish its new centre for excellence for bakery products in Melbourne, creating 118 new jobs. The A$13.7 million investment by the company in the Western Melbourne suburb of Altona (18 km from the Melbourne city centre) will be used to purchase state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, and increase their research and development capacity.

Japanese-based pharmaceutical company Eisai has announced it will open its Australian headquarters in Melbourne to provide a platform to market its portfolio of epilepsy and oncology products. The company ranks in the top 25 pharmaceutical companies in the world by revenue, and employs over 10,000 people worldwide.

Balluff Leuze has invested in a custom-built automation centre in Bayswater, located 40 minutes east of Melbourne’s city centre, as part of its continued Australian expansion plans. The German company, which specialises in technically innovative products for the Automation industry has been working in Australia for 15 years and is considered a leader in sensor technology. They also build a range of safety products that are used in the Victorian manufacturing sector.

Professor Sharon Lewin, the local co-chair of this year’s 20th International AIDS Conference, and internationally recognised HIV cure researcher, has been named Melburnian of the Year in an awards ceremony held on 15 November.

Australia and China have signed an historic free-trade agreement (FTA) which will increase opportunities for foreign direct investment in Victoria. The deal, which is suggested to be worth A$18 billion to Australia’s economy, was announced after almost a decade of negotiations between the nations. The agreement will increase the threshold at which private companies attract scrutiny by the Foreign Investment Review Board from A$247 million to A$1 billion. This will allow corporations to more easily take advantage of the competitive and dynamic business environment that Melbourne has to offer.

Melbourne will host world football superstars from Real Madrid, Manchester City and Inter Milan as part of the Australian leg of the third annual International Champions Cup in July 2015. The tournament, a friendly pre-season between the biggest teams in the world, will feature star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Aguero, Gareth Bale, David Silva and James Rodriguez.

The International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC) will take place in May 2019, and will see approximately 1,000 delegates visit Melbourne to discuss, collaborate and present on the latest scientific achievements in particle acceleration. Melbourne’s winning bid was presented in Korea, and was a direct result of collaboration between the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) and the Australian Synchrotron, a particle acceleration research facility located in Melbourne.

Melbourne has been recognised as the top Major City in Human Capital and Lifestyle, according to the fDi Intelligence Global Cities of The Future 14/15 study. Cities in the study were categorised according to population and, as a Major City, Melbourne was awarded the top position in cities with populations less than 10 million. As winner of the Human Capital and Lifestyle category, Melbourne scored high results in categories such as; literacy rate, education expenditure, health, quality of life, percentage of population as labour force, number of students and numerous other indicators.

Hotel and accommodation booking app, HotelQuickly, has opened an office in Melbourne as part of its plans to expand its operations in the Australian market. The Hong-Kong headquartered company, which was launched in March 2013, has more than 600,000 users globally and offers last-minute discounted hotel and accommodation booking options for travellers.

The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) will enter into force on 12 December 2014, opening up new investment opportunities for Victorian and Korean businesses that will enhance their relationships. KAFTA will increase export opportunities across a wide range of industries: from beef, wheat, sugar, dairy, wine, horticulture and seafood, to automotive suppliers, and the resources and energy industries. It will also open up significant opportunities for service providers.

The Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) entered into force on 15 January 2015. Japanese interest in Victorian and nationwide investment is continuing to grow, with major fast food chains and convenience store operators looking at investing in the agriculture sector, which will in turn support expansion into the South East Asia marketplace.

The global data centre and software giant, Equinix, has recently opened a new state-of-the-art data centre in Melbourne, as part of its expansion plans throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The centre, which is strategically located in Port Melbourne, about 2.5 kilometres from the Central Business District, will help to meet the growing regional demand for premium data centre services, and comes amidst strong growth in Australia and Victoria’s IT markets. Equinix has invested A$60 million in the centre, known as ME1, and early reports indicate an successful launch.

Two Victorian wind farms have won 20-year deals with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), to supply a third of Canberra's electricity needs. In a deal worth A$68 million a year each, the alternative power venture is set to increase Canberra household power bills by A$93, however with 200 megawatts of capacity, the wind farms are expected to create a 580,000-tonne reduction to the city's yearly carbon emission each year (the equivalent of removing 157,000 cars).

The Victorian Government has announced it will begin work on one of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects, the Melbourne Metro Rail Project. The new Melbourne Metro Rail line includes a nine-kilometre twin rail tunnel from Melbourne's south, under the CBD, through to the university and health precinct in the city's north. It will include five new and expanded underground stations.

Melbourne’s Monash University and Amearo Engineering have captured the attention of global aviation industry giants by creating the world’s first 3-D printed jet engine. The manufacturing breakthrough will lead to cheaper, lighter and more fuel efficient jets, and will result in advances in medical technology, according to engineers and researchers.

Melbourne has reinforced its great reputation as the world’s most liveable city with new statistics showing Victoria as the number one destination for Australians moving inter-state.

The Feynman Prize for Nanotechnology was awarded last month to Dr Amanda Barnard. Often referred to as the Nobel Prize of nanoscience, the prize’s importance is remarkable in that it recognises prodigious talent in the sector and is a reliable predictor of scientific discoveries with a very high translational impact on industry.