Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade
Philip Dalidakis is Victoria’s Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade in the Andrews Labor Government. He was elected as the member for Southern Metropolitan in November 2014 and was appointed to Cabinet in July 2015.
Philip has a bold and ambitious vision of Victoria as the number one tech and startup destination in the Asia Pacific region and, since his appointment to Cabinet, has worked tirelessly to strengthen Victoria’s global reputation as a hub of innovation.
He is proud to have played a part in bringing internationally renowned startups and tech companies to Victoria as well as having nurtured and encouraged local companies predominantly through LaunchVic, the Victorian Government’s $60 million startup initiative, focusing on accelerators, incubators & coworking spaces.
As a tech and innovation hub, Philip also believes Victoria is well placed to be a leader in infosec and in 2016 excitedly announced the development of Melbourne’s cyber security cluster located in Docklands – the biggest such cluster in Australia.
Philip has a Master of Commerce from UNSW as well as a double degree in Arts (Politics and Thai Language) and Business (Management) from Monash University. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Minister Dalidakis is a first generation Australian and a proud Melburnian of Greek and Jewish ancestry. He is married with three children, was an avid golfer prior to entering parliament and is known to wear his St Kilda scarf into the office on Mondays after his beloved Saints taste victory.