Industry Engagement Training for Researchers

Helping Australian researchers share their ideas with the world.

 

 

Training Program Outcomes

Our comprehensive workshops empower researchers to:

Know the Industry

understand industry expectations and motivations.

Make a Compelling Pitch

define their value proposition for a compelling pitch to industry

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Understand the Market

conduct market research to find key stakeholders and potential partners

w

Network and Build Relationships

initiate and maintain productive business relationships

Solve a Need

identify industry and customer needs and how their research can meet them

Expand their Network

engage with industry and expand their networks through social media

Build their Profile

adapt their professional image and communication style for the commercial world

Manage Financial Expectations

appreciate financial imperatives and restrictions

All training programs can be customised to meet your needs.

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GOVERNMENT FUNDING OVERVIEW

From 1 January 2017, the Australian Government will introduce new research funding arrangements for universities that give equal emphasis to success in industry and other end-user engagement as it does to  research quality.  To help universities manage this change successfully,  gemaker delivers the industry engagement training researchers need, to:

  • frame their research to meet industry needs
  • identify potential research partners and funders, and
  • engage with industry professionally, effectively and sustainably.

INTERACTIVE TRAINING FOR DEEPER LEARNING

The program has a strong focus on current, real-world examples with activitivies that teach practical skills with immediate applications.  The delivery mode is engaging and interactive, combining presentations, one-on-one and group discussions, hands-on exercises, role plays, and reflections. Two days of workshops are followed by a half-day of pitching practice and evaluation. With support and detailed feedback from our panel of experts, each participant will be able to develop an action plan for industry engagement and have a polished pitch ready for potential industry partners

EXPERIENCED AND INSPIRING FACILITATORS

Our diverse team of seasoned presenters educate and challenge researchers to improve their industry engagement. Insiders from research, commercialisation and business, our course facilitators bridge the research-industry gap with insight and impact:

Natalie Chapman Managing Director of gemaker and technology commercialisation expert.
Maria Cook Business coach and Board Member of technology spin-off BioGill.
Ryan Liddle Director of Think Different Anyday, previously Head of Innovation at Woolworths.
Dr Julie Wheway Medical researcher turned marketing and communications specialist.

What People Are Saying

Don’t just take it from us, see what training program participants have to say.

“I would absolutely recommend the program. It was very complete. One of the things I liked most was that the team that was delivering had very different backgrounds that complement each other – we had perspectives from industry and from a person who spent many years in research. The course was very example-based, not abstract and theoretical, but similar problems to what the researchers will go through, so they could relate to that. It was a very solid base. Researchers have the skills and capabilities to build from that base.”

Technology Transfer Officer

“I would definitely recommend the course, both to researchers close to translation – with a product almost ready to go to market – but also to researchers still doing basic research. Putting a pitch together forces you to think about your value proposition: What can you add to the world? As scientists, we’re very dry. We think that when we talk to a company, we need to speak in statistics and money. From this course, it’s very clear that we also need to use emotions. That’s how people get involved and interested in what you have to say.”

Senior Research Fellow

“The importance of the emotional connection was something that really stuck out for me, because my instinct as a scientist is to talk information and facts, not necessarily thinking about how someone feels about something, or what would make them interested. That was really useful. Before this, I thought you had to have something ready to market and sell before you go and talk to industry, but it’s important to think about longer-term relationships and establishing those relationships early.”

Research Fellow

Training Feedback

Below is feedback from a Sydney-based university

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96% respondents said they have increased confidence and ability to deliver a compelling pitch to an industry partner

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100% respondents said they thought the facilitators were knowledgeable, there was good use of time allotted and well organized.

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86% respondents said the teaching/training methods were appropriate, that they know how to better engage with industry and have more confidence to facilitate discussions with industry and work collaboratively

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93% respondents said the program had increased their knowledge of how to identify and understand industry problems and challenges.

Industry Engagement Insights

Bioreactor PhD launches careers

Bioreactor PhD launches careers

Apr 2, 2018

Swinburne University's innovative Bioreactor PhD Program was launched only three years ago, with funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), but the benefits of its entrepreneurial focus are already clear to the program's supervisors, the first cohort of...

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Notes from Science Meets Business

Notes from Science Meets Business

Nov 14, 2017

This year’s Science Meets Business conference was an inspirational mix of policy, practice and promotion aimed at researchers, policy makers and industry partners. Policy There were four presentations from business and political leaders, discussing the...

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