February 18, 2021

Podcast brings scientists and entrepreneurs together

Lab Notes explores how industry and academia can better collaborate to bring new technologies to life

In a new series of their podcast Lab Notes, University of Wollongong scientist Professor Marc in het Panhuis and entrepreneur Dr Leo Stevens aim to demystify the business world for scientists and the academic world for business people.

Lab Notes celebrates Australian science, innovation and entrepreneurship, and aims to inspire inventive Australians.

In the first series, the co-hosts interviewed Australian research luminaries including 2005 Australian of the Year Professor Fiona Wood and 2017 NSW Scientist of the Year Professor Gordon Wallace, as well as up and coming entrepreneurs like Anastasia Volkova (FluroSat).

The second season of Lab Notes, launched Wednesday 17 February, explores how industry and academia can better collaborate, and to celebrate those who are bringing exciting new technologies to life. It features a new short episode format called “The Brief”, which connects two concepts from science and business in 10 minutes.

The need for innovation by industry coupled with the ambition of governments to commercialise academic research is driving an ever-increasing level of interaction between entrepreneurs and scientist, said in het Panhuis, a Professor of Materials Science at UOW’s Australian Institute for Innovative Materials.

They do, however, have different objectives and face different constraints, he added.

“Australia has an amazing pool of researchers and punches above its weight in fundamental discovery,” Professor in het Panhuis said.

“However, we need to do more to translate research out of the university and into industry.”

This podcast series is hoping to help entrepreneurs and scientists to better understand each other, and ultimately, foster the commercialisation of research, said co-host Dr Stevens, an entrepreneur and angel investor based in Wollongong and a UOW alumni.

“Recently there has been an outstanding growth in the Australian ecosystem,” Dr Stevens said.

“We are hoping to capture the stories of successful Australian entrepreneurs who can become role models for the next generation.”