In Summary

  • KCA awards recognise translation of knowledge and research into business
  • Swinburne’s Bioreactor program is a finalist in the Best Creative Engagement Strategy category
  • The Swinburne Innovation Precinct is a finalist for the Best Entrepreneurial Initiative award

Swinburne has been named a finalist in two categories of the 2016 Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA) awards.

The KCA awards recognise research organisations for translating knowledge to the community as well as the development of products or services that can be developed into new industries in Australia. 

This year the awards have also expanded to recognise the teaching of high-impact entrepreneurship and engaging stakeholders in a range of hands-on business training.

Best creative engagement strategy

Swinburne’s Bioreactor is a finalist for the Best Creative Engagement Strategy award. This program represents a new model for creative collaboration that is suited to small to medium enterprises. It includes nine industry partners and 10 PhD candidates.

Supported by mentors from industry and academia, the students seek to identify key insights into problems that open up potential for innovative solutions.

Multidisciplinary groups of students spend time in hospitals, clinics, aged-care facilities and on the factory floor, talking to end-users and industry partners and looking for gaps in the market.

Together they pursue the most promising opportunities for translational research to produce industry-ready PhD graduates with the confidence to look for opportunities in the private sector.

Best entrepreneurial initiative

The Swinburne Innovation Precinct is a finalist for the Best Entrepreneurial Initiative award.

The Innovation Precinct at Swinburne’s Hawthorn Campus will position the university as a centre of entrepreneurial activity, integrating research, new business development and commercialisation.

Focusing broadly on tech innovation, including new technologies, services and businesses, the precinct will drive design thinking across the university.

It will lead research and development of new products such as digital health technologies, smart homes and virtual reality training.

The precinct will also use design and digital technologies to address manufacturing challenges and pilot production and fabrication processes in collaboration with industry.

This year's awards are judged by commercial leaders of innovation:

  • Erol Harvey, CEO, MiniFab
  • Dan Grant, PVC Industry Engagement, LaTrobe University
  • Anna Rooke, CEO, QUT Creative Enterprise Australia

About Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA)

Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia is the peak body leading best practice in industry engagement, commercialisation and entrepreneurship for research organisations.

This year’s awards include Best Commercial Deal, Best Creative Engagement Strategy and Best Entrepreneurial Initiative. The winners will be announced on Thursday 1 September 2016.