veski conversation: how can we stimulate innovation and commercialisation within the university sector?

On Tuesday, 30 September veski hosted the third veski conversation for 2014 at the Sofitel’s restaurant Nº35 over dinner, on the topic of ‘how can we stimulate innovation and commercialisation within the university sector?’.

The intimate invite-only event brought 19 leaders from academia, government and industry together with the veski family to discuss shared insights and knowledge with Dr Alan Finkel AO [President of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering], Professor Göran Roos [Advisor, Author and Influential Thinker] and Professor Alan Trounson [Emeritus Professor Monash University] leading the conversation. 

This topic arose at the veski innovation fellowships briefing earlier in September when Professor George Collins (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research from Swinburne University), who was in attendance at the conversation, questioned the ‘innovation’ fellowships and whether they were actually ‘research’ fellowships. Professor Collins asked whether there was an opportunity for the veski innovation fellowships to focus on innovation and not just traditional research. This was supported by additional comments from Professor Calum Drummond and Professor Lee Astheimer (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research from RMIT University and Deakin University respectively).

Following the addresses from Dr Finkel and Professors Roos and Trounson, the round table discussion gave guests the opportunity to share their ideas, knowledge and raise concerns surrounding the topic of conversation. The collaboration and the opportunity to network produced valuable and inspiring conversation about academia in Australia.