WA Life Sciences Hub Hosts CSIRO ON Workshop : MTPConnect

02 August 2023

The CSIRO ON team were in Perth yesterday delivering their ‘Research to Value Workshop’, supported by the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub and hosted by entrepreneur and thought-leader Andy Lamb.

The day started with a keynote presentation from Dr Thomas Ting (Executive Director, Australia’s Economic Accelerator (Department of Education), kicked off the session with a keynote presentation, followed by a panel discussion about future visions for WA from the state's innovation leaders:

Dr Tracey Wilkinson – Director, Stakeholder Engagement WA, WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub and MTPConnect
Charlie Gunningham – Director, New Industries Fund, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
Danelle Cross - Director of Entrepreneurship, Curtin University
Nicholas Buckley – Co-Founder, VeinTech

Key takeaways from the panel included:

Collaboration: If you are from industry and you see something happening in a university that would be good for you or your sector, reach out!
Reach: The sector is striving to put the ingredients in place to enable innovators to 'go global' from WA
Global Focus: Companies can and should be globally focused, even when based in Perth. There are many programs available to help bring WA companies to the world including the WA Government's ‘Landing Pads’, which is a network of specialised programs based around the world to support Australian technology companies to expand globally.
Networking: Don’t underestimate the value of connection. Connect with the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub to gain feedback and advice about your activities, and gain meaningful connections to others in the sector
Diversify Events: Explore and attend events that are not necessarily in your 'wheelhouse'. Don't be afraid to network - ask people about what they do, and focus on building relationships
Stay Informed: Communication is a two-way street. There are many initiatives in the sector but to make the most of them we need to stay in the know. A great way to do that is to join the Hub’s LinkedIn and mailing list (email Rebekah.craggs@mtpconnect.org.au to be added) and join MTPConnect's network and receive a monthly newsletter. The WA Innovation Calendar is also a useful resource to stay up to date with upcoming events across the WA innovation ecosystem.

The afternoon session focused on maximizing the impact of research by developing practical industry engagement skills, focusing on bridging the ‘valley of death’ and solving problems that external organisations care about.

If you're a researcher eager to enhance your research impact and entrepreneurial skills, there is a range of ON Programs that could be a good next step for you!

Since 2015, the ON Program has helped more than 3000 people from 52 Australian research organisations turn their science into real-world solutions. The program is focused on building the skills of teams from universities and publicly funded research agencies.

ON Prime is designed to help research teams take their projects to the next level through customer discovery activities and more. Expert facilitators will support teams to build evidence for the impact of their research, so they can make a difference in the world and attract the resources needed along the way. Applications to participate in ON Prime occurs twice a year. To be notified of all future rounds, please subscribe to the mailing list.

ON Accelerate gives teams the skills and support to validate and develop a high potential innovative venture. The program will connect you to a network of experts who will support and challenge you, as you work to confirm customers, refine your business model and prepare for investment. Applications to participate in ON Accelerate are now open until Friday, 18 August 2023.

Find out more about CSIRO's innovation programs for researchers.