Sharing the formula for better uni-business links

New Venture Institute Director Matt Salier
New Venture Institute Director Matt Salier

Universities have been found to provide knowledge, resources and networks to help SMEs capitalise on their good business ideas, but how can South Australian business take advantage of those resources to help small to middle sized enterprises (SMEs) innovate?

Barriers, resources and case studies relevant to the South Australian SME market will be addressed at Flinders Victoria Square tomorrow (Tuesday 25 August) during the ‘Professionals’ Lecture Series, which highlights Flinders University’s latest initiatives to improve its performance in an area with huge implications for the state and national economies.

Flinders New Venture Institute (NVI) Director Matt Salier and Associate Professor Pi-Sheen Seet, from the Flinders Business School, will take centre stage as they present successful case studies showing how firms have used collaborations with universities to improve their innovation capability and performance.

Matt Salier said the lecture on How Universities Help Firms Innovate & Perform Better in South Australia was for anyone who wanted to hear how their SME can capitalise on the knowledge, resources and networks of universities to improve innovation capability and performance, as well as for policy makers and practitioners interested in or working in this area.

“This lecture comes at a time when, despite South Australia having a high proportion of SMEs in its economy, research suggests there are still significant barriers to university-SME collaboration,” said Mr Salier.

Associate Professor Pi-Shen Seet is Program Director, Bachelor of Business degrees at Flinders. His research interests are in how different actors in innovation systems, especially SMEs, overcome challenges to grow their new ventures or transform existing businesses.

Matthew Salier is a key player in Adelaide’s start-up community through Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, where for the past two years he has leveraged the university’s resources to create and grow dozens of enterprises in South Australia.

Complimentary refreshments will follow the one-hour lecture.

Where: Flinders University, Victoria Square, Level 1, 182 Victoria Square

When: Tuesday, 25 August 2015, from 3.45pm for 4pm

How: Register by clicking here.

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