Turning Research into Companies

Greetings from Entry 29,  the co-working innovation space next to the Australian National University, where David Keightley is talking about starting companies based on research.  He launched Mediaware Solutions, based on imagery technology from CSIRO. His latest venture is Ecospectral Pty Ltd, with smart sensors for energy saving.

Canberra Innovation Competition

The 2013 "Innovation ACT" completion is being launched 6pm, 28 August, at the Australian National University in Canberra. 
Over nine weeks, teams of higher education students and staff from the Canberra region compete for $55,000 in prizes, for the best new business ideas.

The teams are given help with preparation of business plans and to prepare a pitch to investors. Institutions include the Australian National University (ANU), University of Canberra (UC), Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), Australian Defence Force Academy (UNSW ADFA), Australian Catholic University (ACU) and Charles Sturt University (CSU).

In past years I have helped with presenting to the teams on sustainability for business ideas and as a team member. The competition is challenging but fun. Some student take part in the competition as part of their formal studies in business and innovation disciplines, but this is not required.

Innovation in Higher Education

Greetings from the Startup Demo/Pitch Session at the Entry 29 Canberra Co-working Space, in Canberra. Entry 29 opened in May and was set up with the help of ANU to provide a place where staff, students and the Canberra community could get together to set up new business ventures. Entry 29 is similar to "Conceptnursery.Com", which I visited at the  Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in Colombo and Fishburners in Sydney. I am talking to the group on how I set up "Higher Education Whisperer" as a commercial venture to help academics.As well as the website, I am considering software, a book and consulting to universities to help put courses on-line. What I have found it there is a large unmet demand for advice to academics.

Canberra Innovation Startup Demo/Pitch Session

A Startup Demo/Pitch Session will be held at the Entry 29 Canberra Co-working Space, in Canberra, Friday, 19 July 2013. Entry 29 opened in May and was set up with the help of ANU to provide a place where staff, students and the Canberra community could get together to set up new business ventures. Entry 29 is similar to "Conceptnursery.Com", which I visited at the  Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in Colombo and Fishburners in Sydney.

There is also the annual "Innovation ACT" program sponsored by the ACT Government to encourage higher education students to take their ideas further.On the program students prepare business plans and practice their pitch. This provides an interesting counterpoint to the sort of documents and presentations which academics are trained to give.