Activate Impact through Entrepreneurship
Drive sustainable change through entrepreneurship
Drive sustainable change through entrepreneurship
At RMIT Activator, our vision is to pioneer transformative impact initiatives with our partners that lead to sustainable change. Our strategic collaboration and funding partners help create environments for innovation which contribute to new technological solutions fostering social and environmental progress. Our aim is to harness the collective expertise and aspirations of the broader entrepreneurial and start-up community to tackle global challenges by acting locally, propelling us towards a better, more sustainable and inclusive future.
We aim to align our projects closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through collaborating with partners, we deliver impactful results that transcend financial gains by ensuring positive outcomes for society and the environment. Our efforts are dedicated to driving economic growth and sustainability, demonstrating the power of strategic impact funding to create significant and lasting change.
RMIT Activator champions visionary founders and supports pioneering ventures. Our mission is to transform innovative ideas into tangible outcomes, providing the essential connections and support to fuel meaningful change.
RMIT Activator leverages open innovation to deliver impactful outcomes through entrepreneurship. It actively engages diverse stakeholders, including startups and local businesses, government, industry experts, and academic institutions, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and technologies. This approach not only accelerates the innovation process but also enhances the relevance and applicability of solutions in real-world scenarios.
Our methodology is both iterative and agile, enabling continuous adaptation and refinement of solutions. By focusing on customer-centric approaches and co-creation, our programs ensure that the tailored solutions developed meet market needs and drive sustainable change through innovation.
We invite you to partner with us on this transformative journey. Your contribution is essential to identify critical problems and opportunities - together we will design an open innovation program to achieve shared goals and bring novel solutions to market.
Let's turn innovative ideas into reality and create impact through strategic funding and collaboration.
Introduction: Trade Routes is* a hands-on, outcomes-focused program, uniquely co-designed with First Nations business and community leaders to unlock the ambition and potential for global growth within the indigenous business community.
Solution: Supported by Global Victoria and powered by RMIT Activator, Trade Routes brings together expert knowledge, practical experience and an extensive network of connections to deliver a program that builds the foundations and capacity for international trade and global growth for each participating First Nations business.
Results: 25 Indigenous-led businesses completed the program, with outcomes including increased global market entry, the creation of new job opportunities, and XX. Over $350 thousand dollars of funding was unlocked for participating businesses, by leveraging government grant opportunities.
“In some ways it’s given us more drive to really create new products. This is mainly due to us feeling visible and our voice been heard”.
Introduction: The RMIT Training (RMITT) program followed a Sustained Innovation approach, with RMIT Activator taking RMIT Training employees through a structured program of innovation capability development workshops.
Solution: Activator collaborated with RMITT to frame the key innovation focus areas for the unit that were primed for new value creation. The program took participant through an idea ideation and incubation process, accelerating the development phase to showcase prototypes at program end.
Results: The program supported the generation of 200x new ideas for RMIT Training, which were consolidated into 20x validated concepts, with 6x prototypes Pitched at program end to a panel of core stakeholders. Participants reported increased confidence and capability for innovation in their area of work and beyond.
Introduction: The Victorian Circular Activator (VCA) was two-year a collaborative partnership program supported by Sustainability Victoria, bringing together five ecosystem partners from academia, the non-profit sector and an entrepreneurial hub (RMIT Activator).
Solution: The VCA delivered a suite of research outputs, community activation and engagement programs, and showcases and events, promoting and supporting a circular economy transition for Victorian businesses, Councils, and residents.
Results: The VCA acted as a circular incubator and hub, delivering 15x projects, including five Research Reports, six Activation Programs, and four public Showcases. Over 900x people were engaged across the lifetime of the program, contributing to increased understanding of the circular economy, new circular products and services, and increased strategic collaborations.
“Such a worthwhile investment of my time - a personal break through was understanding CE is about creating circular systems through collaboration and really encourages you to think big, use your imagination and draw on your entrepreneurial spirit."
Introduction: Sustainability Victoria funded RMIT Activator to deliver a tailored masterclass series for Victorian design practitioners, and business decision-makers and executives, designed to improve the capability of industry to deliver on circular design outcomes.
Solution: RMIT Activator conducted a co-design process to create tailored masterclass content for each cohort. A half-day Masterclass session was delivered, with the practical workshops facilitating collaborative learning and industry-specific discussions. Online learn materials and tools, including targeted case studies, supported the application of circular design principles beyond the masterclasses.
Results: The project delivered a masterclass to over 50x participants, successfully empowering 50 designers and business decision-makers with circular design knowledge, fostering a network of skilled circular design practitioners and informed and motivated local producers.
"Was a great opportunity/forum to discuss with peers from diverse backgrounds. Very well organised and executed. Highlights that it's a bit topic area / complicated so lots more material to plough through to hopefully target outcomes of substance / meaning.."
Get in touch with us to explore your challenges, and if RMIT Activator's Innovation Programs are right for you.
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.
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