Enhancing university-industry engagement at the University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne sought to enhance its staff’s ability to engage with industry and external partners, targeting roles in business development, industry partnerships, and innovation precincts. The objective was to develop a customised professional development program that catered to the varied roles and levels, from emerging professionals to staff with over 30 years’ experience. The challenge was to create a program that could address the diverse needs and elevate the skills of all participants, ensuring they could effectively drive university-industry engagement and innovation.

UIIN designed a bespoke, high-impact program focused on university-industry engagement. The program consisted of ten intensive learning days spread over 12 months, combining expert mentoring, interactive workshops, and practical tools in a flexible, blended learning format. Participants further worked on specific challenges from their day-to-day work to apply the lessons and knowledge gained, ensuring immediate and practical benefits.

Key topics included:

• Fundamentals of university-business collaboration
• Partnership development strategies
• Identifying and maximising collaboration opportunities
• Navigating ecosystems and valorisation pathways
• Enhancing the culture and impact of external engagement

After the successful implementation in 2022, the program was delivered again in 2023, further refining and expanding its impact.

Our strategy was to create an immersive, hands-on learning experience tailored to the University of Melbourne’s specific needs. The program combined several key elements such as:

• Practical tools and resources: A flexible, blended learning approach with materials designed for immediate application, enabling participants to integrate new skills into their daily work seamlessly.
• Problem-based learning: Each participant developed a Personal Application Project, focusing on real-life problems they face in their roles. They were able to discuss and shape these projects together with their colleagues, facilitators and mentors, ensuring that learning was directly relevant and immediately applicable.
• Expert mentorship: Dedicated mentoring and coaching sessions with global experts across the sector provided personalised guidance, helping participants refine their projects and ensuring practical takeaways and long-term impact.

By the end of the program, participants were equipped to:

• Formulate a strategic vision for impactful university-business collaboration, tailored to align with institutional goals.
• Apply entrepreneurial thinking to drive innovation and adaptability within their roles, enabling proactive engagement with partners.
• Implement advanced collaboration frameworks that foster long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships
• Navigate complex knowledge transfer processes and manage external engagement to maximise value for both the university and external stakeholders.
• Understand and address partner priorities by clearly aligning with their goals, needs, and expectations to build trust and synergy.

Over 75 staff members have successfully completed the program, transforming their approach to industry engagement and driving significant positive change.

Participant feedback underscored the program’s value across varying experience levels. More experienced participants shared that the frameworks and concepts provided meaningful validation for practices they had previously relied on “by gut feeling”, offering them a structured approach that confirmed and refined their instincts. For less experienced participants, the program established a strong foundation, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to confidently engage in university-business collaboration. Across all teams, the training fostered a shared language and common approach, enhancing coherence and collaboration within and between departments.