What does it take to transform a research idea into disruptive, world-changing technologies that improve our lives? Innovation that creates new industries doesn’t just start with a spark—it demands relentless engineering dedication, entrepreneurial drive, and the determination to transform vision into reality.
Join UNSW Engineering for an inspiring and thought-provoking panel discussion on how engineers are driving entrepreneurship and reshaping industries—one breakthrough at a time.
Hear from leading innovators who’ve made the leap from the lab to the boardroom, turning cutting-edge research into real-world change. Whether you're curious about startups, passionate about research, or eager to create something of your own, this event will show you what’s possible when the engineering mind meets enterprise.
What to Expect:
Real stories from researchers-turned-founders
Key insights on launching and scaling ventures
Honest lessons on the risks, rewards, and realities of commercialising innovation
Dr David Skellern worked in radio astronomy for 10 years and taught electronics at the University of Sydney and Macquarie Universities for 16 years before coming to prominence in the IT sector through Radiata, which he co-founded in 1997. Building on joint research at Macquarie University and CSIRO, Radiata demonstrated the world’s first chip-set implementation of the 54Mbit/s lEEE 802.11a high speed WLAN standard. Radiata was sold in 2001 to Cisco Systems Inc, where Dr Skellern was Director, Technology of the Wireless Networking Business Unit until 2004.
He was appointed to the Board of National ICT Australia in 2003 and was Chief Executive Officer 2005-2010.
He was a Non-executive Director (NED) of the Board of the Capital Markets CRC (CMCRC) 2004-2019 and Board Chair 2013-2019, then Chair of RoZetta Institute Ltd (formerly CMCRC) 2019-2022. He was also a NED of the Boards of eight RoZetta Group companies.
Dr Skellern is a NED and Board Chair of Quasar Satellite Technologies Pty Ltd, the Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B), and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), and a NED of Trovio Pte Ltd. He advises several early-stage technology companies. He is a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University.
Dr. William Jeffrey has experience leading companies focused on groundbreaking research and development. He is currently the General Partner and Founder of Airstream Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on accelerating the commercialization of very early stage deep technology. Previously, he was CEO of SRI International and President and CEO of HRL Laboratories – two of the nation’s premier research institutions. Dr. Jeffrey has extensive US government R&D experience having served as Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Senior Director for Homeland and National Security and Space and Aeronautics within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and several leadership positions at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Dr. Jeffrey is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, an elected Honorary Member of the International Society of Automation, a recipient of the 2008 Navigator Award from the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, and a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Jeffrey is a member of the Board of Directors of TE Connectivity Ltd., Diraq Pty Ltd., MRIGlobal, The Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC (manages the National Renewable Energy Laboratory), and Salience Labs Ltd.
Jeffrey received his M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University, and his B.Sc. in physics is from MIT.
Dr Michelle Perugini is a scientist-turned-serial entrepreneur who has spent her career at the intersection of cutting-edge research and transformative innovation. Beginning with more than a decade in oncology research, she went on to found three global high-tech startups, two of which were successfully acquired, including one by EY in 2015 and another by Astec Co. in 2024. Her ventures have pioneered world-first AI technologies, improved healthcare outcomes in over 40 countries, and reshaped how medical data is used globally. Today, as Head of Commercialisation at the University of South Australia, Michelle leads the translation of breakthrough academic research into real-world impact, forging powerful collaborations between researchers, industry, and investors.
Professor Ian Gibson is the Deputy Dean of Industry Engagement Innovation & Research within UNSW Engineering. He has over 30 years of experience as a computer scientist and engineer and at executive level R&D management. He has led the research, development and global commercialisation of new technology across a broad range of electrical engineering, computer science and digital imaging.
Professor Gibson was the founding CEO of Intersect Australia Ltd (2008 - 2015). Prior to this Professor Gibson was General Manager at CiSRA, the Australian R&D lab for Canon Inc, where he built research capability over several years to deliver world leading technology into a wide range of Canon's major product groups generating hundreds of patents along the way.
Professor Gibson's technology has been shipped in over a billion units world wide, and he has secured over $200m in research funds from a variety of sources.
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