In Summary

  • Leadership team joins Swinburne research and innovation ecosystem
  • Swinburne Innovation Precinct to move into Fire Station headquarters

Swinburne has added a wealth of commercial experience to its Innovation Precinct with the appointment of a diverse leadership team.

Swinburne Innovation Precinct is an integral part of the Swinburne Research and Innovation Strategy. It connects the university’s brightest minds with industry and the startup community to foster a culture of innovation, and to drive the translation of research into commercial products, services or technology.

‘Our newly-appointed leadership team for the Innovation Precinct combines extensive entrepreneurial experience, proven commercial expertise and capability in leading research translation in collaboration with industry, both in Australia and internationally, including in Silicon Valley,’ says Swinburne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) Professor Aleksandar Subic.

‘They will be instrumental in taking our Innovation Precinct to the next level as part of our comprehensive research and innovation ecosystem.’

Dr John Morrison

Dr John Morrison is Executive Director of the Innovation Precinct, bringing more than 15 years of experience in industry research engagement and commercialisation. Dr Morrison was formerly Director of Research Translation at Monash University. He has been instrumental in setting up high-impact startups and joint ventures both in Australia and internationally. Dr Morrison’s past roles have included COO of the Monash FODMAP venture, business lead on the Monash eHealth Initiative and Pfizer alliance, Head of Business Development at Benitec Ltd, and Chief Scientific Officer for CopyRat and Biocomm Services. He completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne and has a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swinburne.

Dr Elicia Wong

Dr Elicia Wong is Director of Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Innovation Precinct. Dr Wong was previously Chief Scientific Officer at Sensor Innovations Inc. and Chief Technology Officer at Elemental Machines Inc. in Silicon Valley. She brings 10 years of experience as a tech entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, having been involved in several successful startups. After completing a PhD at the University of New South Wales, Dr Wong took on a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Oxford University, followed by further innovation management and commercialisation training at Stanford University. Her research at Oxford led to the commercialisation of her novel biosensor and bioreactor technologies, for which she set up a spin-out company in Silicon Valley.

Dr Wong will oversee the Entrepreneur in Residence Program – a mentoring program for staff and students across Swinburne, focused on bringing established entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to Melbourne.

Dr Michelle Carr

Dr Michelle Carr is Program Director of the Innovation Precinct. Dr Carr brings 15 years of experience in marketing, strategy and commercial operations across several industries including medical technology, food manufacturing and professional services. More recently, she was CEO and Director of a publicly listed medical technology company for eight years. During this time, she brokered agreements with one of the top 20 medical device companies and a global vaccine manufacturer. Dr Carr also successfully founded a consultancy firm helping small businesses to deliver commercial outcomes, which she still manages. She has been influential in driving strategy and marketing impact with several organisations in retail, utilities, construction and financial services. Dr Carr holds a PhD in International Marketing from the University of Western Australia and a Masters of International Business.‌

The Swinburne Innovation Precinct team will be based in the redeveloped Fire Station, due to be completed in December 2017.