At La Trobe University, we create opportunities for industry to connect with emerging entrepreneurs, students, and innovators through our programs. Whether you have a real-world challenge to solve, expertise to share or an interest in exploring new ideas, there are many ways to get involved.
Innovation can start with a challenge, a new perspective or simply a conversation with the right people.
Turn challenges into new possibilities
Industry partners bring the context, experience and challenges that make innovation meaningful.
Through opportunities such as La Trobe Innovation Sprints and Industry Projects, organisations can work alongside multidisciplinary student teams to explore real business challenges, uncover diverse perspectives and develop potential solutions.
These programs give organisations the opportunity to bring a challenge to life, working with emerging talent and providing expert feedback as ideas take shape.
“The project provided tangible, objective evidence, as recommendations to inform organisational and operational evolutions” Kerrily Jennings - Projects and Engagement Coordinator at Mount Alexander Sustainability Group | Industry Partner at Industry Projects 2026
It’s an opportunity to look at familiar problems differently and potentially uncover an idea worth exploring further.
Share what you know
Sometimes, the most valuable contribution is your experience.
Industry professionals and entrepreneurs can get involved in the programs as mentors, coaches, guest speakers or panellists, supporting students and early-stage founders as they develop their ideas and businesses.
“I’m really exciting to be one of the mentors at this program, students get such an amazing opportunity to land mentors and work on real problems, come up with ideas for business that can be run in the real world” Hollie Prescott – Senior Product Educator at Canva and Founder of HerHQ | Mentor at the AI Innovation Ventures Program 2026
For industry partners, it’s also a chance to meet ambitious entrepreneurs, share commercial insights and gain visibility into emerging ventures, technologies, and new ways of thinking.
Have a business idea? Take the first step
You don’t need to have a fully formed business to start building an entrepreneurial idea.
Through programs like La Trobe’s LaunchPad Pre-Accelerator Program, early-stage entrepreneurs can test their ideas, explore their potential and develop the foundations of a venture. It’s an opportunity to turn an early concept into something more tangible, with access to industry insights, mentors, and a community of like-minded founders. and a community of like-minded founders.
“LaunchPad gave us the structure, the confidence and the network to move from an idea to something real” Clare Fargher Co-Founder of SmartAger | LaunchPad Program Participant | March Cohort 2026
For industry partners, LaunchPad also provides an opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey and help shape the ideas that could become tomorrow’s ventures.
Engage with the broader Eagleworks ecosystem
The opportunity doesn’t have to end when a program or event does. Through the Eagleworks Innovation Centre ecosystem, industry partners can stay connected to a growing community of founders, innovators, students, researchers and entrepreneurial talent.
Whether you’re looking to solve a challenge, discover new talent, explore an emerging technology or simply connect with the innovation community, Eagleworks provides a space to start the conversation.
Find the right way to get involved
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to industry collaboration.
You might be looking to mentor an emerging founder, bring a business challenge to a student team, speak at an entrepreneurship event, explore a startup partnership or support the next generation of innovators.
Whatever your organisation’s goals, there are many opportunities to collaborate and create shared value. Explore our opportunities for industry and find the right way to connect with La Trobe.
