21 February 2017
Just how universities and industries can work together to create new products, technologies and practices, and turn those into successful, economy-building enterprises will be at the heart of the next Enterprising Partnerships talk at UniSA.
In a wide-ranging discussion, led by the Director of UniSA’s Future Industries Institute, Professor Emily Hilder, and Chief Scientific Officer at Trajan Scientific and Medical, Dr Andrew Gooley, the pair will explore how industries and universities can become a match made in heaven, rather than the odd couple.
The talk will be held at the Allan Scott Auditorium at 6 pm on February 27 at UniSA’s City West campus.
The pair will discuss just what works during the product development process, how researchers need to adapt to the commercial environment of business and how industry can discover new opportunities under the influence of the “what might be possible” research ethic.
“We hear far too much about a supposed chasm between industry and the academy, when in practice, all around the world there are myriad examples of highly fruitful industry/university research partnerships,” Prof Hilder says.
“What we are focussing on at UniSA is a solutions-driven approach and that means we have to be able to work across disciplines. Our chemists need to be talking to our engineers, or our environmental science experts and indeed our business development researchers, so that when we work on an industry project we are bringing our best to the table,” Prof Hilder says.
“At the Future Industries Institute we are building a culture that is solutions-driven and one where we are keen to develop mutually beneficial relationships with business and industry to underpin commercial outcomes.”
With State government investment into the Future Industries Accelerator at UniSA of $7.5 million over the next three years, Prof Hilder will explain how local SMEs will be able to access research infrastructure and technical support from researchers and their teams, to support innovation.
“The way the scheme has been supported I think we have a fantastic opportunity in South Australia to start to develop enduring culture of engagement between industry and universities, and that will bear economic fruit,” she says.
“This presentation is all about explaining how working with our researchers has worked and continues to work for industry – the benefits, the opportunities and the potential for future industries born from vital and positive partnerships with university researchers.”
Dr Gooley says that while the quality and diversity of R&D in Australia’s academic network is outstanding, the commercial sector has often struggled with how best to collaborate with the universities to translate their research into meaningful outcomes that impact domestic and international communities.
“At Trajan we are exploring a range of collaborative models with academia to accelerate the translation of R&D and to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs to consider a commercial career as a genuine option for their future,” Dr Gooley says
The Enterprising Partnerships lecture series showcase the vital partnerships that UniSA’s top thought leaders have with the end-users of their research and highlights the economic and societal impact of research that is inspired by real-world challenges.
Media contact: Michèle Nardelli mobile 0418 823 673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au
