Innovation is built upon collaboration, and La Trobe University's Industry Project program connects organisations with multidisciplinary student teams to work on real-world challenges through practical, industry-led projects.
Created to connect industry with emerging talent, Industry Projects enable organisations to explore new ideas, access diverse perspectives, and engage directly with students across a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds.
Students undertake an Industry Project as part of their studies, and work alongside industry mentors and academic staff to research challenges, develop concepts, and present practical recommendations aligned to genuine business and community needs.
The latest Industry Project intake concluded with Pitch Day on Monday 25 May, where student teams presented their final solutions to participating organisations: Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, DPV Health, Greenfleet, Mount Alexander Sustainability Group, Mildura Rural City Council, and La Trobe Primary Health GP Clinic.
For many organisations, one of the most valuable aspects of the program is the opportunity to see challenges approached through different perspectives and disciplines.
Dr Loren Sher, Clinical Director, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, reflected on the experience of working with students through the program.
“Having a problem viewed from a different perspective, through a different lens, has been very interesting to watch.”
Dr Sher also highlighted the value of seeing students apply and evolve their existing knowledge throughout the project process, describing it as “really fascinating” and something the organisation hopes to continue engaging with in the future.
The multidisciplinary structure of Industry Projects is central to the program’s approach.
Rather than limiting collaboration to students within directly related fields, teams are intentionally made up of students from a variety of disciplines at La Trobe. This diversity often creates broader conversations, more creative thinking, and unexpected approaches to problem-solving.
Jessica Mason, Project Officer, Greenfleet, felt that diverse student perspectives were one of the standout aspects of participating in the program.
“It’s been really great to consider working with students from various backgrounds.”
She noted that organisations traditionally tend to work with students studying closely aligned disciplines, whereas Industry Projects created opportunities to engage with a much wider range of experiences and ways of thinking.
For industry partners, the outcomes often extend beyond the projects themselves.
Riyaz Sameem, Chief Information Officer, DPV Health, said the practical value of the program comes from the ability to take student ideas beyond the pitch stage and into organisational workflows.
“The practical outcomes are to take great ideas that students pitch back into your workflows and try to embed them as actual projects.”
He also highlighted the potential for organisations to identify talented students who may contribute to future implementation and innovation initiatives.
Industry Projects reflect La Trobe University’s broader commitment to industry-connected learning, innovation, and collaboration.
Through wider initiatives including the Eagleworks Innovation Centre, La Trobe continues to bring together students, researchers and industry partners within a connected and broad ecosystem that supports experimentation, co-creation and the development of ideas into practical outcomes, strengthening the link between education, research and industry in a very applied and collaborative way.
These partnerships create opportunities for organisations to engage with emerging talent while contributing to workforce development and applied innovation. For students, the experience provides valuable exposure to professional environments, stakeholder engagement and real-world project delivery.
As organisations continue to look for new ways to approach challenges, an Industry Project can provide the opportunity and demonstrate the value of collaboration between industry and education, creating shared outcomes that support innovation, capability building and future workforce development.
Organisations interested in participating in a future Industry Project can learn more about the opportunity from our webpage, and are encouraged to connect with La Trobe Talent to explore upcoming partnership opportunities.
Students wanting to learn more about their opportunities to undertake an industry experience within their course of study, can find more information on the Industry Projects and Placements webpage.
