Business Innovation Lab

It was an incredible opportunity to gain a bunch of insights from a range of students from diverse backgrounds. The whole experience was not only an eye opener, it was a great learning opportunity! Jodie Tuckwell- Knight, Ready Set

Our story
Launched in 2020, the Business Innovation Lab is an innovative program that supports our partner organisations create innovative solutions for their real-world problems. This is achieved through the expert facilitation of tailored Design Thinking workshops in partnership with White Light Education, with multi-disciplinary teams of our students developing solutions for you.

To date, we have had over 70 unique organisations partner with us, and more than 850 students take part with highly acclaimed outcomes.

How do I benefit?

  • Build meaningful insights and solutions through Design Thinking methodology
  • Engage with the next generation of business and sector leaders and build your talent pipeline
  • Increase your brand awareness across our student community
  • Access networking opportunities through associated events
  • No financial cost to participate.

How does it work?

Firstly, we will identify a suitable business problem or conceptual challenge and confirm your participation.  From there, our Design Thinking consultant will work with you to scope, define and refine your business problem.

The Design Thinking consultant will be available to answer any questions prior to the program and industry representatives will receive a briefing on the morning prior to the Business Innovation Lab. Through the program, you will have two groups of five students working with you on your business challenge. The program will culminate with the student teams pitching their solutions to you, and you may explore these solutions further.

Upcoming dates in 2023

  • April 13: 1-day program, delivered in-person  (2-hour online induction -  April  6)
  • September 27: 1-day program, delivered in-person  (2-hour online induction -  Sept 20)

This sounds great. What's next?

Have a business or conceptual problem you’d like our students to investigate?

Reach out to express your interest and preferred program period with our Partnerships team.

Please note that places are limited.

Contact us

The facilitators created an environment that allowed the student teams to thrive and think outside the box in regards to what was delivered from the business problem statements.  There was such a wealth of engagement and originality delivered from the students during this Business Innovation Lab that I just know all the businesses involved were running back to their CEO and board with these incredible solutions. Chardee McEwan, Wise Employment

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who are the students?
    • High-achieving early-career business, arts, science, and engineering students, from a range of courses.
    • They have well-developed problem-solving, teamwork, IT, and communication skills, with many speaking more than one language and all have a high degree of nous.
  • What do I need to provide?

    1. Two representatives from your organisation

    • A main contact for the project scope discussions.
    • Two representatives to be actively present and involved during the program.

    2. Sufficient background context of your organisation and project scope for our students to work on throughout the program

  • Which organisations have participated in the past?

    Industry partners have included:

    • Red Cross Australia
    • Victoria Walks
    • VicHealth
    • The Australian Chamber Orchestra
    • The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institue
    • Villa Alba
    • GradWISE
    • Batyr
    • JT Management Productions
    • Yarra Riverkeeper Association
    • Melbourne International Film Festival
    • ReadySet
    • City of Melbourne
    • Coles & REDcycle
  • Where is this based and can I do this remotely?

    In 2023 we will be conducting the program in person based on our Parkville campus. This will be subject to meeting any government restrictions and guidelines at the point of the program. We look forward to welcoming our industry partners back on campus.

  • What is the cost?

    There is no charge for taking part in these workshops. Your participation will provide valuable experience for our students and we simply need a small portion of your time. We anticipate in turn that value is provided to your organisation through the results. Furthermore, this is a great way to engage with the community and some of Australia’s brightest students, who have both diverse skills and fresh ideas – this could be a pathway to securing graduate talent!

  • How are students rewarded?

    As this is a co-curricular activity, our students can receive non-academic recognition for taking part. In addition, they develop relevant employability skills by taking part, such as professional communication, teamwork, development and so on.

    We also welcome corporate sponsorships for the most innovative student teams to encourage friendly competition within the cohort. This skill-based reward approach makes it fair for all students involved. These prizes can be either financial or in-kind.

    If you’d like to offer any professional development experiences post-program to student teams, please let us know.