Sydney Knowledge Hub a ‘breeding ground for innovation’
As one of the oldest tenants of Tech Central, the University of Sydney has played a key role in nurturing talent and stimulating innovation for over 170 years.
Now, the university is helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry. In 2019, the university launched the Sydney Knowledge Hub, a dynamic, innovative initiative for startups, non-profits and organisations seeking resources and support for collaborating with University of Sydney researchers.
The Sydney Knowledge Hub aims to foster a closer understanding between the university and the outside world, supporting researchers on their journey to commercialisation.
"Universities are a breeding ground for truly innovative solutions," said Sydney Knowledge Hub Director Rupal Ismin.
"Breakthrough innovations generally require a long incubation period, which Universities almost uniquely can provide."
The Sydney Knowledge Hub provides state-of-the-art coworking space for researchers and companies working on campus, while offering members access to funding, research collaboration and work-integrated learning opportunities.
Having recently celebrated its second anniversary, the Sydney Knowledge Hub supports a number of early-stage organisations working across a range of disciplines, including advanced manufacturing, AI, medtech, nano and quantum computing.
One such organisation is ResusRight, a start-up founded by two PhD students that recently raised $784k seed funding and received $800k from BioMedTech Horizons for a neonatal medical device designed to safely resuscitate babies struggling to breathe after birth.
Other success stories include DetectED-X, an online training and research tool that helps radiologists better detect diseases such as COVID-19 and breast cancer and Bioscout, an agtech start-up that helps farmers monitor and analyse airborne disease for better crop management.
"Being associated with a top-ranked university gives a credibility bump for products in the early stage of work," said Rupal.
"Being a part of Tech Central means that we will be able to help more researchers connect formally and informally to some of the most exciting businesses in Australia –and the world," said Rupal.
"I would love to see researcher entrepreneurs use Tech Central as a place to connect to more potential co-founders."
Visit the website to learn more about the Sydney Knowledge Hub and sign up for its newsletter.
