We love to hear our northern neighbours talk in hushed tones about our pristine wilderness, our world-class food and wine and now, of course, our world-beating MONA.

And we do have a proud record of innovation because, as island folk, we can't just pop down to the corner store for a solution like in big cities.

We rightly pride ourselves on inventing products like the wave piercing catamaran, the humidicrib and Igloo satellite cabin used in Antarctica, on innovating in industries like craft whiskey and essential oils, on developing new forms of governance like the world's first system of rotating ballot papers, and on creating Australia's first circus and wonderful festivals year-round.

Yet there is an uneasy sense that for all our beauty and our achievements the dream doesn't quite match the reality.

Tasmania has the lowest rate of patent and trade mark applications in Australia.

It has indicators of social dysfunction as poor as the Northern Territory. And the economy, although improving, is still fragile.

We have some of the poorest health in the nation and too many students leave school at grade 10.

Tasmanian unemployment is about 10 per cent higher than the national average and the proportion of the population dependent on government hand-outs is disturbing.

Part of the reason for this is that we have lost our edge as innovators who find solutions to our own issues.

The government's "open for business" approach is encouraging with innovation being shown, for example, in the health sector and in trade with China.

But we need more innovation, more generally in industry and the community.

We need leaders to step up and inspire us with a vision of an "Innovative Tasmania", where innovation is reflected in business ideas, in personal and community solutions and in the arts and design.

A self-reliant, "Innovative Tasmania" where people depend more on themselves and less on government.

In the spirit of "putting your money where your mouth is" the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival (BOFA) last November hosted a Tasmanian Regional Innovation session lead by international expert Dr Anton Kriz.

BOFA believes that a creative festival is an ideal venue for innovative thinking on issues facing Tasmanians.

In the five months since that session, much has happened.

BOFA action groups have been set up in the South, North and North-West with hands-on projects such as one aiming to build a stronger local food economy.

The recent Tasmanian Innovation Census shows that only 11 per cent of Tasmanian businesses can be called Innovation Leaders, who embrace new ideas and technologies and run world-class businesses.

A series of Innovation round table sessions are planned for businesses wanting to become Innovation Leaders.

Regional Innovation action sessions like that held last November at BOFA are rolling out on the East Coast, with plans for action sessions on Hobart's eastern shore and at Burnie.

These will bring together local innovators, community and business leaders, plus municipal and state government decision makers to see how we can create state growth through regional innovation.

Innovative Tasmania Awards will be launched in early June to identify the top Tasmanian innovations of all time.

The Examiner will invite readers to rate 25 Tasmanian innovations to identify the top three, which will receive awards at this year's BOFA.

An innovative digital communication platform, developed recently in the European Union, is being trialled by BOFA.

This integrated online platform connects people or organisations to develop ideas to make change happen.

And, shortly, The Examiner will invite you to complete an online Regional Innovation Survey to rate how innovative you think we are here in the North.

So, how good would it be if we could build an "Innovative Tasmania" where the reality matches the dream? It won't be easy, but nothing great ever is.