Professor Colin McLeod to lead the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre

University of Melbourne is launching the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre (MEC), a new centre that will offer students, alumni, academics, industry and the general public opportunities to move innovation forward to create real world impact.

Professor Colin McLeod, experienced enterprise academic and a business leader with expertise in commercialising innovations, was announced as the Centre’s inaugural Executive Director at the Melbourne Entrepreneurship Gala on August 8.

University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis, who spoke at the event, said that Professor McLeod had strong credentials to launch the important new centre.

“The role requires a blend of entrepreneurial capabilities and academic experience, and he has the perfect mix to make the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre a major success,” Professor Davis said.

The MEC will encompass the University’s existing accelerator programs, Melbourne Accelerator Program and Translating Research at Melbourne and will work collaboratively with the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship.

Professor McLeod said the launch of MEC is key to continued entrepreneurship at the University and in Melbourne in general.

“The University of Melbourne has been operating in the entrepreneurship space for years now, and we have continued to invest in new programs, so establishing this Centre represents the next stage of our investment in innovation,” Professor McLeod said.

Additionally, it will work to develop new initiatives and strategies designed to build the University’s capability in commercialisation, provide formal entrepreneurship education offerings and engage with government and industry.

Core to MEC’s remit will be developing links between the University’s various entrepreneurial programs and the wider entrepreneurship community and corporate world.

“World class educational institutions are at the heart of every major entrepreneurial ecosystem. Just look to Stanford, which has had a strong hand in building the tech hub that is Silicon Valley. Universities are the perfect breeding grounds for the innovators and entrepreneurs of the future. MEC will take an active role in facilitating this process,” Professor McLeod said.