Throughout the year, a range of La Trobe Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiatives provide students, alumni, and industry partners with opportunities to connect, develop entrepreneurial skills, and address real-world challenges.
Across August, the activities delivered – including Innovation Sprints, networking forums, and app development competitions – are leading examples of how our entrepreneurship ecosystem operates, illustrating the University’s approach to building capability and strengthening connections across the entrepreneurial community.
This month, we’re shining a light on Innovation Sprints, a powerful catalyst for creativity, collaboration, and rapid problem-solving.
La Trobe x NAB Innovation Sprint
The La Trobe University x NAB Innovation Sprint provided an immersive environment for students to explore the future of banking and finance. Participants were tasked with addressing the question: How can next-generation digital products and services be designed to deliver exceptional customer experience?
Over two days, more than 30 La Trobe students formed six teams and developed a range of concepts, including tools for financial literacy, budgeting, investing, and personalised AI chatbots - each with a focus on creating interactive and engaging experiences.
At the conclusion of the sprint, ‘Not Broke’ received the Judge’s Choice Award for their team solution, while ‘Professor XSaviors’ earned the People’s Choice Award.
The event was made possible through the significant commitment of NAB staff mentors, speakers, and judges, many of whom are La Trobe alumni. Their support, alongside collaborative efforts from La Trobe colleagues, contributed to the success of the sprint and ensured a meaningful learning experience for NAB as well as student participants.
La Trobe x St. Vincent’s Private Innovation Sprint
The La Trobe x St. Vincent’s Private Innovation Sprint brought together bright minds to tackle a significant healthcare challenge.
This initiative demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary problem-solving, as students, alumni and researchers collaborated to address a real-world issue faced by St. Vincent’s Private Hospital: How might we create a more meaningful, connected, and effective orientation experience for new staff at St. Vincent’s Private - one that sets them up for success from day one?
Digital Health was the name of the game, and participants worked in teams to develop innovative solutions, employing frameworks provided throughout the sprint. The event not only showcased creative thinking but also highlighted the value of applying academic expertise to industry-specific needs. Many of the solutions presented showed practical potential, and several teams earned opportunities to further refine their concepts with mentorship from hospital and university experts.
The Judge’s Choice winning team was 'V-Pulse', with People's Choice being awarded to the 'Journey Point Innovation Group'.
"This has been an amazing experience working with La Trobe in the recent sprint. The engagement has been truly incredible (and) the young, enthusiastic people have come up with great ideas and learn(t) about the hospital in a couple of days. Amazing experience, would we do it again? Absolutely," said Adjunct Professor Janine Loader, Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent's Private Hospitals (Victoria).
This sprint reaffirmed La Trobe University’s commitment to connecting its talent pool with industry stakeholders, fostering partnerships that can deliver tangible societal benefits.
La Trobe x ServiceNow x Deloitte Appathon
Innovation took centre stage at the La Trobe x ServiceNow x Deloitte Appathon at the La Trobe Bendigo campus. Designed as a hackathon-style competition, this event saw participants build scalable, low-code business applications using ServiceNow’s App Engine Studio.
Students and alumni from diverse academic disciplines came together to address real-world challenges with creativity and technical skill. What made this event particularly notable was its emphasis on accessibility - no technical background was required to participate - and its focus on mentoring. Representatives from industry partners, Deloitte and ServiceNow, provided invaluable guidance as participants grappled with app design, function, and scalability.
Teams who performed exceptionally were awarded cash prizes - congratulations to Judges Choice Award winners 'Fraud Fighters' and 'Gild & Sacks IT', and People's Choice Award winner, 'Defendigo'.
The value of this Appathon went beyond monetary rewards. Participants walked away with certifications, enhanced resumes, and a deepened understanding of how technology and entrepreneurship can intersect to address pressing issues.
What’s Next
Each of these initiatives reflects La Trobe University’s dedication to building entrepreneurial capacity in our student, alumni and industry community, and a continued commitment to our innovation ecosystem. From healthcare solutions to app development and startup networking, the activities were unified by their focus on collaboration, practical application, impactful solutions, and student engagement for industry partners.
Looking ahead, the momentum from these initiatives offers a promising glimpse into how activities will continue to shape the future of innovation and entrepreneurship at La Trobe. Watch this space.
To learn more, visit: Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
