Just weeks after its official launch, Flinders University New Venture Institute (NVI) has embarked on two important initiatives in its mission to strengthen the University’s enterprise culture.

South Australian identity Maggie Beer and 2012 Young Australian of the Year, Marita Cheng, today are sharing their secrets to sustaining success, as well as their setbacks, with an audience of Flinders students and business leaders in Entrepreneurs in Conversation, part of a regular public series.

And students from Flinders Business School and the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics (CSEM) have begun work on ‘real world’ case studies, as consultants to two Australian start-up ventures.

NVI Director Matthew Salier, who takes on the role after seven years as national manager of the Smith Family, said the initiatives are representative of the Institute’s aim to “infuse innovative and entrepreneurial thought and practice” among Flinders students and staff and the broader community.

“The NVI’s activities are starting to take shape. Internally, we are modelling the University’s existing, successful programs such as NanoConnect and the collaborative example of the Medical Device Research Institute,” Mr Salier said.

“Externally, we are focused on harnessing the University’s intellectual horsepower, by using the business connections of our Council and our many partners, to bring some exceptional value into the start-up and entrepreneur community,” he said.

Commencing in early 2014, NVI will also take over the operation of VentureDorm, an entrepreneurial education and training program for potential and existing start-up founders, devised by the University’s commercialisation arm Flinders Partners in conjunction with the industry program MEGA.

“VentureDorm fulfils an important role [for NVI] because it bridges our internal focus and external focus. We’d like students to get involved and we’d like researchers and academics to consider jumping into it as well. But it is also attractive to the external community,” Mr Salier said.

NVI’s ranks have been bolstered with the appointment of Orren Prunckun, a Flinders law/arts graduate who is well-known in the South Australian entrepreneurial sector for his leadership of the global Startup Weekend events locally.

“I think Orren coming on board reflects the fact that universities have a really important role to play [in the entrepreneurial sector] and that it isn’t only one of being the thought-leaders and the thinkers: it’s about being the do-ers in that space as well,” Mr Salier said.

“The real value from a university comes when you can bring cutting-edge thinking and research to actually strategically doing it on the ground.”

That concept will manifest itself in a range of other entrepreneurial education initiatives, such as a ‘toolbox workshop’ which will aim to give budding entrepreneurs advice and skills to determine the commercial viability and a market assessment of their ideas.

The long-term vision of NVI, however, is as the ‘front door’ of Flinders’ presence at the Tonsley development.

“Tonsley is about having the University, TAFE and business in the same space and all collaboratively working together. Being on the ground floor of our new building, we consider NVI as the software through which the School of CSEM will enhance its already excellent external engagement,” Mr Salier said.

“It is not yet known what the next big thing will be. What is known is that you need to create the conditions through which people can come together: where you can bring the intellectual horsepower of the University, the experience of your business connections, mentorship and capital to bear to create an environment where these new products and services are likely to flourish.”