Innovation Focus

The JCU Innovation team provides JCU students, researchers and the broader community with practical pathways to develop as innovators and entrepreneurs. Our program offerings are primarily geared to accelerate high-potential technologies towards successful uptake and global relevance - we want to empower you to make an impact!

We have the innovation and startup facilities, and the expertise to move ideas through development, validation and scaling.

Create Series: Idea to MVP  

We run regular a series of regular workshops which equip founders with the skills required to conduct customer discovery, ideate, prototype and validate a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). These series are rooted in design thinking and will give staff, students and community members, exposure to:

• Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas
• Ideation Processes
• Customer Discovery
• Prototyping and Validation

Advanced Founder Development Program

Members of our community have the opportunity to apply to our Advanced Founder Development Program. This program lays the foundation for business growth by providing dedicated support from the JCU Ideas Lab staff.

In the program you will be able to access:

• Workshops and entrepreneurship sessions
• Dedicated mentor and coaching hours
• IP and commercialisation advice [JCU affiliated founders only]
• Pitch training
• Masterclasses
• Exclusive networking and pitching events

Incubator Program

Established tech startup founders of the Cairns startup ecosystem can apply for a Fixed-Desk Membership in the JCU Ideas Lab and participate in our 12 month incubator program. Upon successful application, the membership is free of charge and provides the following support services and benefits:

• 24/ 7 swipe-card access to a shared office
• Bookable meeting rooms and community facilities
• Priority access to all the founder development programs and mentoring
• Access to networking events
• A community of other founders, researchers, and industry partners ready to connect and collaborate
• $10,000 in credits through the AWS Activate Program

If you would like some more information about the JCU Ideas Lab or have a chat about this initiative prior to submitting your application, please send an email to the JCU Innovation team via innovation@jcu.edu.au