Accelerating Research-Industry Engagement at Universities

Following on from the success of last year’s program Start Something at UWA 2016 kicked off this week.  Delivering entrepreneurial education and engagement, Start Something from Research fills a critical gap in the research-commercialisation lifecycle.  The program applies lean business thinking and a heavy contingent of industry mentoring and input. Innovation Cluster and UWA IQ then guide participants along the commercialisation next steps that best fit their product, market and team.

Giles Nunis, CEO of the W.A. Office of Government CIO, said when launching the first workshop in the program that “Research and Development forms the backbone of the innovation ecosystem in WA. The challenge for government and industry is how we can collaborate together to achieve a common purpose to attract and retain ideas and expertise in WA by commercialising great WA ideas for the local and global market.”

A cohort of 31 researchers comprising of research staff and students from UWA Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Psychology, Arts, Business and from Royal Perth Hospital and Telethon Kids Institute.

Innovation Cluster Founder, Peter Rossdeutscher, said “Applications for Start Something from Research were in highly competitive this year so this is a very strong group.  From just initial lean business modelling workshop at UWA this group have already shown the foundations of some high impact products and services.  This program plus business mentoring will help them along the journey to evolve those offerings and take them to market.”

Industry experts and speakers have been drawn from numerous sectors plus alumni and includes Brenton Saviour, Peter Clarke, Jeff Elliott, Dr Sue Bahn, Cam Sinclair, Dr Dawn Driscoll, Aiden Montague, Clinton House, Brian Haggerty and the Start Something 2015 Award Winners.