Climate KickStarter is a commercialisation training program, run in collaboration with Australian higher learning institutes and CRCs, that supports researchers to develop the confidence, knowledge, skills, and ability to leverage future commercialisation opportunities.
We are currently open to delivering Climate KickStarter to new CRCs and research institutes.
Australian universities and research institutions have a strong track record of discovery and innovation, but Australia trails behind other global innovation ecosystems in translating research outputs into long-term commercial opportunities. We rank last in the OECD for business collaboration on innovation with higher education or government institutions.
The Climate KickStarter Program has been developed in alignment with the Australian Federal Government’s University Research Commercialisation Action Plan.
The aim of the program is to quickly develop commercial thinking within proven learning-frameworks that enables participants to understand and act on the commercial impact of their research.
Climate KickStarter equips early career researchers with the commercial acumen, stakeholder engagement skills and market-driven thinking needed to bring their research into practice. By bridging research and industry, Climate KickStarter helps researchers navigate pathways to impact — whether through influencing policy, supporting industry innovation, or launching start-ups.
By building a pipeline of commercially-minded researchers, CKS contributes to strengthening Australia’s climate solutions and cleantech innovation ecosystem, ensuring cutting-edge research translates into real-world solutions.
Climate KIC Australia collaborates with leading universities and cooperative research centres (CRCs) to deliver tailored training, leveraging international expertise to ensure researchers can effectively apply their knowledge to accelerate climate action.
The Climate KickStarter courses are capability-building opportunities for researchers to explore the basics of IP, equity, and patents and how research can influence policy and industry regulations or become a commercial success.
Understanding the basics of IP, equity and patents as well as how research can influence policy and industry regulations.
Getting into the mind of the customer and understanding the problem they are trying to solve.
Understanding and communicating the value a researcher’s work can offer their first customer base.
2 x 6-Hour sessions
2 sessions over 1 week
Online
Sessions include lectures, group work and individual time to apply learnings to research and self. Sessions are shorter and lighter than Deep Dive.
Short pitch deck can be developed
3 x 5-hour sessions
1 x Pitch event with sponsors
1 session per week over 1 month or 6 weeks
Online
Sessions include lectures, group work and individual time to apply learnings to research and self
Self-directed learning required in-between sessions
Short learning deck developed, reviewed, and presented
Run one of each KickStarter modalities throughout the year
Use KickStarter Light as an early exposure point to introduce researchers to using customer discovery processes, understanding commercial problem spaces and stakeholder management through their research
Use KickStarter Deep Dive to equip researchers with the skills to be able to apply their research abilities to the commercial space, take industry positions or create technology-focused start-ups.
We are currently accepting new CRCs and research institutes to partner with us to develop commercialisation capability in research students. If you are interested in finding out more about how we can work together, please reach out.
