Resources for quantum research commercialisation

Macquarie University  

Tech Transfer Office Details
The Office of Commercialisation and Innovation (OCI) provides IP and commercialisation advice and support for Macquarie research students and staff. Commercialisation pathways vary and are typically via in-house business units, licenses, or spin-outs.  

Information on IP rights
Please refer to the university’s IP Policy in Policy Central or contact the Office of Commercialisation and Innovation. 

Innovation training courses
MQ Incubator Startup Educate Program: A bespoke program designed for start-ups looking for support to grow scalable and sustainable businesses. The program is open to the wider community where founders can access a range of extra-curricular programs, networks of mentors and investors by joining the community – apply today.  

MQ Incubator Student Program
The student programs are aimed towards very early stage impact translation (ie: START program) and skills development (MQ Pitch Program, MQ Pitch Competition, Innovation Fellows, Design Thinking).

Researchers and HDR candidates can access the Researchers IMPACT program, a seven-week part-time course aimed at early-stage ideas to assess if their research has commercial potential and do general market discovery. A pitch final at the end of the program provides an opportunity to secure seed capital. Graduating teams from this course will work individually with Macquarie’s commercialisation team to discuss next steps. 

Creating a start-up

Innovation Hubs

University of New South Wales  

Tech Transfer Office Details
UNSW Knowledge Exchange helps UNSW researchers and staff to transform research discoveries into successful innovations to benefit society. The Knowledge Exchange can:  

When you have an idea or an invention, information can be found on the Inventor Portal about logging the invention with UNSW Knowledge Exchange through the secure web portal using your zPass. 

Information on IP Policy
Intellectual Property Policy (unsw.edu.au) 

The Staff Spinout Framework
This Framework has been developed to ensure the process is efficient and transparent and provides a predetermined commercial framework designed to minimise negotiation between UNSW and the staff member. The Framework is a joint initiative from UNSW Knowledge Exchange (KE) and UNSW Entrepreneurship (UNSW Founders). KE supports the management and commercialisation of IP from UNSW and can provide vital links to potential investors and end users through an established industry network while the UNSW Founders team supports founders along all stages from developing their ideas and IP into a viable business proposition, to launching and scaling globally.​​​​​​​ 

HDR Students can get information, advice, and support through the ARC Postgraduate Council (PGC) as well as Entrepreneurship regarding start-ups.  

Training courses
UNSW has an internal Founders program run through the Department of Entrepreneurship that helps students, staff and alumni turn their ideas or research into start-ups. Whether you’re completely new to entrepreneurship, or ready to launch and grow your start-up, UNSW Founders has something for everyone, free of charge.  

UNSW also offers a series of free workshops for students, staff and alumni to work through basic entrepreneurial skills. These follow the cycle of problem identification, creative problem solving, prototyping and validation and communicating your solution. This is aimed at early level participants who may have an idea for a potential solution but may not necessarily have any experience in testing its viability.  

UNSW KE and UNSW Founders deliver the Research Making Impact program specifically for staff/researchers which can be taken as professional development.  

Current and alumni HDR students are able to access a 6-module self-paced online version of the Research Making Impact course addressing research impact and pathways to practically translate research to impact. This course includes an interactive coaching session with a UNSW Founders staff member and pitching session. These programs are free to access on a voluntary basis to eligible students through the learning management system.  

Creating a start-up
The Peter Farrell Cup is UNSW’s most prestigious start-up idea pitch competition, helping students and HDR candidates become the next generation of entrepreneurs. This program would be considered a pre-accelerator with a focus on early customer discovery, problem definition and prototyping ending in a pitch competition with cash prizes. This program is free for participants and runs once a year.  

The Industry agnostic 10x Accelerator Program, open to UNSW students, staff and alumni, helps founders in grow and become investment and impact-ready. Suitable for later-stage start-ups, the flagship 10x accelerators include a pre-accelerator (5 weeks) and accelerator (10 weeks). Start-ups receive $20,000 in seed funding plus an opportunity to pitch to investors.  Start-ups may progress from an early-stage program such as the Peter Farrell Cup or New Wave. This is a competitive program that runs once per year.  

Innovation Hub
Michael Crouch Innovation Centre  

University of Sydney  

Tech Transfer Office Details
Commercialisation Team (DVCR Portfolio) works with industry, government and community partners to help University of Sydney staff and students identify and protect intellectual property (IP) generated in your research, start a company, or give you a hand in negotiating research and consultancy agreements. Business Development Managers are embedded in your faculty to provide advice and assistance on competitive research grants, contract and commissioned research and tenders, and direct industry sponsorships. 

The University of Sydney is a 20% partner in the Uniseed Investment Fund. They work with Uniseed to assess the suitability of a start-up to commercialise intellectual property. The Research Portfolio also works closely with several partners, including Cicada Innovations, INCUBATE and Genesis Start-Up Program which can assist local start-ups to access, use and commercialise IP. 

HDR Students can get information, advice, and support through the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA). 

Training courses
Various training sessions are available through the DVCR Portfolio including the Train to Engage workshops focused on training researchers on how to engage with industry, government, and other external organisations. 

The University of Sydney is also home to INCUBATE, the start-up program that funds students to launch high-potential start-ups. The programme naturally focuses on ideas that are ‘easy to get off the ground’. The program is standard in its offerings including access to mentors, masterclasses, industry, and the community. The program does include $5,000 as an equity-free investment. Incubate runs the ProtoX program which is a free part-time mentoring program created to support individuals and teams from within the University of Sydney community who are committed to building a start-up or delivering impactful research.  There are two streams, Research to Impact offering researchers programmes to increase their business skills and so create impact from their research, and ProtoX for Start-ups supporting early-stage start-ups for any sector. 

Start-up Hubs 

University of Technology, Sydney  

Tech Transfer Office Details
At UTS the commercialisation of research outputs is managed through the UTS Research and Innovation Office. Researchers must disclose new IP to the Research Office using the IP and Innovation Disclosure form (available at Commercialisation process (Staff Connect)). If it is determined that the IP has value beyond publication, the Research Office will help prepare an appropriate IP strategy and research translation plan (see IP strategy and impact plan). 

Student Association
HDR Students can get information, advice, and support through the UTS Students’ Association. 

IP Policy
Intellectual Property Policy - UTS: Policy 

Training courses 
UTS has extensive entrepreneurship initiatives for students and recent alumni. Entrepreneurship for Researchers is an online resource with links to the Entrepreneurship Toolkit, UTS Startups and offers a self-paced introductory online course. 

Innovation Programs
UTS Startups is a university-wide program to inspire and support start-ups at UTS by providing access to a range of resources, industry connections, community, mentors and events. The program is open to current UTS students or recent alumni developing an idea for a scalable business and addressing a large market. The program includes events, pitch sessions, hackathons, competitions, scholarships, student societies and an entrepreneurship toolkit. UTS also has a visiting entrepreneur program funded by the federal government. 

Techcelerator (TM), the UTS deep tech accelerator, is a 6-month funded programme open to all at UTS. It runs July to Dec, requiring part-time commitment to develop a prototype utilising UTS facilities, selection is done through running two bootcamps and the programme ends in pitch day with the top team or student being awarded of $20k of initial funding.  

CSIRO 

Kickstart program: CSIRO Kick-Start - CSIRO is an initiative for innovative Australian start-ups and small businesses, providing funding support and access to CSIRO’s research expertise and capabilities to help grow and develop their business. 

CSIRO's ON Program is delivered as part of a broad suite of innovation initiatives to fast-track technology and ideas into the market and to get it into people's hands more quickly. From July 2022, the ON program delivers ON Prime and ON Accelerate to participants from universities and publicly funded research agencies as part of the Australian Government’s University Research Commercialisation Action Plan. The ON program delivers industry-leading innovation training and supports people from Australian universities and research institutes, to create impact with their work. 

Company Creation is a program that brings together the founders (science, investor, entrepreneur and industry) required to build companies that can take science and technology innovation to market at pace and solve big global challenges.  With an emphasis on rapid translation, this program may not suit the long lead times of quantum commercialisation. It exists to ensure CSIRO achieve the full impact potential of their research and solutions — think opportunities driven by the customer, market and science! Unlike incremental R&D, it delivers platform solutions that disrupt markets, create change, and launch new ventures. In partnership with industry and investors, Company Creation takes deep science and technology to the world at a scope, scale and speed never seen before. Training programs are targeted to traditional market identification which has been identified as a unique barrier/challenge for quantum technology entrepreneurship. 

Non-research-based Programs 

Sydney School of Entrepreneurship (SSE) 
SSE is NSW Government initiated and comprises 11 NSW Universities and TAFE NSW. It was established to enhance and embed growth mindsets, entrepreneurial skills, and innovative thinking, across diverse communities. SSE offers a range of short courses, internships and programs mainly focused on the digital economy. There is also an Industry Innovation Challenge where students spend six weeks immersed in an industry to work on real business tasks and projects. The programs are predominantly student focused, embedding entrepreneurship into curriculum. 

Startmate 
Startmate supports Australian and New Zealand based start-ups through their Accelerator and Fellowship programs. They also provide investor training in the First Believers program.  The Accelerator program spans 12 weeks commencing with an immersive bootcamp, educational sessions, mentoring and pitch sessions. The weeklong bootcamp with structured goal setting is unique amongst Australian programs. There are also various fellowships available targeting diverse groups, from students to females. Participants pay to take part in the programs, during which the fellowship participants undertake technical masterclasses, connect with start-ups and coaches, attend networking events and explore employment opportunities with start-ups.  

Cruxes Innovation 
Cruxes Innovation is a boutique innovation solution offering for researchers to build impact and industry engagement skills. The Base and Ascend Programs are designed to support research teams to discover and validate pathways to translation, engage new industry, government and/or community partners, and build broader support for your project and its impact goals from your centre and university. 

AWS for Start-ups
AWS has put together a set of resources to help familiarize founders with the AWS cloud, whether you’re looking to build a new application, understand how to set up your architecture, monitor your applications, or reduce your operational costs. Support and resources cover help solving a technical challenge, hiring the right engineers, or finalizing a fundraising round. 

Muru-D
Muru-D is a start-up accelerator running programs in Australia that helps tech founders scale their business smarter and faster. They are backed by Telstra, a world-class technology company. Their six-month programs offer you seed funding, global connections to investors, mentors and alumni, co-working space, masterclasses, and an international trip to a start-up hub. 

Start-up Hubs 

Start-up hubs create the supportive ecosystem in which to base the start-up, the environment essential for fostering innovative culture and supporting entrepreneurs. Most start-up hubs include a flexible range of mentoring, support, facilities and a community of practice. A number of Sydney based hubs are outlined below, although these hubs are an excellent venue to base a start-up there is little deep, deep tech expertise to provide mentorship and support specific to the challenges of quantum.  

Macquarie University Incubator
The MQ Incubator is Macquarie University’s innovation hub, an active space offering programs and co-working space for incubation. In 2022, will be growing our space offering to include offices and laboratories. As the most inclusive university based incubator we are proud to open to all – where we blend entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, researchers and students in our cohorts. Our in-house educate program is offered at several different levels to suit both early-stage ideas and scaling businesses.   

Macquarie Park Innovation District
Join Connect MPID to harness the collaborative power of leading minds in business, research, entrepreneurship, and education. 

Michael Crouch Innovation Centre at UNSW
Home of UNSW Founders Program, the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre (MCIC) is a hub for student entrepreneurs, innovators and makers. Their programming specialises in prototyping for start-up ideas and building entrepreneurial skills. 

Sydney Knowledge Hub
The Sydney Knowledge Hub is an on-campus incubator for research entrepreneurs at the University of Sydney.  In addition to its coworking space for research-intensive start-ups, it helps researchers build strong partnerships with industry through programming and events, introductions, and advice to help improve commercialisation outcomes. The Sydney Knowledge Hub also supports research entrepreneurs to connect with industry partners, investors, and sector-specific training programs and events. 

Genesis Start-Up Program 
The Genesis program is run by the University of Sydney Business School. The program exists to support the most promising start-ups through mentoring from experts, assistance with media exposure and a final award of $25,000. At the beginning of 2020, there were around 200 start-ups actively engaged in the Genesis program. Successful start-up teams gain one-on-one access to industry mentors and advisors, a database of entrepreneurship resources, networking events and media exposure.  

The Quantum Terminal

Situated within the iconic Central Station Sydney Terminal Building, The Quantum Terminal has a prime location in Sydney’s CBD. With over 3,000 sqm of affordable coworking space available, you can hire office space, attend or hold events and network within the Quantum Technology, High Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence and adjacent technology verticals, along with other key innovation enablers.

Stone and Chalk/ Sydney Scaleup Hub
Stone and Chalk is now the home of emerging tech innovation with their new Tech Central Innovation Scaleup Hub. The Hub is designed for scaleups and those who support them. The Scaleup Hub offers open and flexible commercial office space, a range of private office suites, meeting rooms, event spaces and spill over workspaces. The Hub will be a place of convergence for great minds, founders, talent, capital and commercial growth; creating and sustaining the high-quality jobs of the future and contributing significantly to the economy’s underlying productivity. 

Cicada Innovations
Cicada Innovations is a Sydney-based incubator with a twenty-year track record of developing deep tech ventures tackling some of the world’s most pressing problems. Their community is a melting pot for entrepreneurs, scientists, business, and industry. By connecting entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers, with a mission to make Australia a leader in innovation, while developing the advanced science that will create a more sustainable and prosperous future. Cicada Innovations offer a number of programs designed to level-up the capabilities needed to turn a concept into a viable business, including navigating IP, finding market fit, rapid prototyping and developing hardware. These programs are focused on medtech, biotech, agrifood tech or prototyping hardware.  Cicada Innovations incubator program provides and supports laboratories, offices, meeting facilities, events spaces and specialised equipment. As a community of entrepreneurs, they also provide advice, mentoring, expertise and resources for deep tech companies. There are currently approximately 40 companies resident within the facilities.  

Sydney Startup Hub
Sydney Startup Hub is administered by Investment NSW and aims to support jobs and the economy through building the Sydney and NSW start-up ecosystem. The space offers a community of practice with events, and access to business, legal and investment experts.  

There are a range of specialised innovation hubs within the Sydney Startup Hub including Tank Stream Labs, Fishburners, The Microsoft Reactor, and Chalk and Stone mentioned above. Each of these specialised hubs run a program of events, mentoring, provide access to experts and assistance in seeking investment and educational offerings.  

Government Funding and Support

NSW Government 
The Business Connect NSW website has a range of resources to start, run, adapt and grow.  Connect with an independent, professional business advisor, register for an upcoming event or webinar, and access practical online resources in your own time. Business Connect offers up to four hours of free support for eligible small businesses across NSW. 

The Service NSW Business Concierge offers free personalised support to help you access support, apply for grants and financial assistance, navigate government requirements and understand changes to regulations. 

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) grants are designed for pre-revenue technology start-ups to help them engage with a potential business customer, or channel to market, to achieve market validation and first sale. An MVP grant is a matched funding grant up to 50% of approved project costs, to a maximum of $25,000. (These grants are currently on hold)

Federal Government 
The Australian Government is launching a new Industry Growth Program in late 2023. The program will provide advice and matched grant funding for SMEs and startups to commercialise their ideas and grow their businesses. There is also a government funding finder tool.  

Austrade Landing Pads  Landing Pads provide market-ready Australian start-ups and scale-ups with access to some of the world’s most renowned hubs including San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Berlin, and Singapore. SMEs get access to global innovation hubs with a co-working space, introductions to local networks of investors, mentors and partners, and advice to help grow the business in a new market. 

To stay up to date with the latest news, events including our Quantum Innovators Network, and opportunities sign up to our mailing list. You can also get in touch with us at info.sqa@sydney.edu.au for further information on commercialisation.