SPARK
The SPARK program, initiated by Stanford University, California, promotes medical research that benefits patients through seed funding, innovative ideas and a program of mentoring and support for aspiring researchers. Its goal is to bridge the gap between academia and industry, basic science and the clinic, and between ideas and patient outcomes.
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SPARK has been incredibly successful at Stanford with over 50% of selected projects resulting in commercialisation.
SPARK has now expanded globally by sharing its methodology and increase intra-country and international collaboration on developing scientific and medical innovation.
SPARK Global now operates in over 23 countries, and 70 universities.
SPARK Oceania
SPARK Oceania manages the Spark Global program in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Operating as a Not For Profit, all profits are reinvested into expanding its operations and optimising successful translational medical research outcomes.
Since its launch in 2014, SPARK Oceania has provided mentorship and education to over 30 projects. These projects have progressed with significant success in the form of 19 patents, 10 clinical studies, 1 licence, 1 start up and over AUD$10 million in funding.
Spark in the Park
Celestino is an Australian owned family business and member of the Baiada Group which is renowned for iconic brands Steggles and Lilydale Chickens, founded in 1916.
For the past twelve years, Celestino has been working on the master-planning, visioning and rezoning of key development projects including the multibillion-dollar Sydney Science Park greenfield development located 3 km’s north of the planned Western Sydney Airport.
Celestino and CIMR recognise the opportunity to provide world leading medical & health translational programs to meet the needs of a growing population and economic activity that will be catalysed by the planned Western Sydney Airport and the surrounding Western Sydney Aerotropolis.
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Therefore, to facilitate the CIMR objectives and the vision of Celestino, CIMR has joined forces with Celestino to create an internationally recognised epicentre for research and development at the Sydney Science Park.
Spark in the Park will be composed of offices, meeting rooms, educational training facilities, and wet laboratories where research can take place and be supported by CIMR and Celestino. Spark in the Park will be accompanied by a retail centre, social infrastructure including schools, healthcare facilities, universities, residential, open spaces and smart city technology.
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Ideation
To solve complex old problems, we need new ideas. We need to view the problem with a new light, from all angles and viewpoints, and to challenge existing dogmas.
The CIMR Think Tank offers an opportunity to do so and to develop novel solutions to these persistent problems. The Think Tank is a program that brings together scientists (both young investigators and well-established senior researchers) and other professionals from a variety of disciplines to ideate in new ways to solve key medical and environmental health problems, such as reducing Tuberculosis or finding a vaccine for COVID-19.
Projects can be initiated by CIMR or third parties. CIMR will initiate a brainstorming process by a group of carefully chosen experts to fast-track a solution and develop a project plan quickly and efficiently. The developed workplans can be implemented either at one of the participating expert’s institutions, or by subcontracting existing groups to take on the project.
Each project is managed as a separate joint venture with CIMR as the ‘general partner’ and participating experts and/or their institutions as joint venture partners – all of whom will participate in funding the joint venture and sharing in its success.
If you have a problem or project that you feel would benefit from our Think Tank, please contact us.
Bio-Innovation & Entrepreneurship Education
A key objective of CIMR is to promote and facilitate the education of young researchers and individuals in the areas of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and help them realise their untapped capabilities to think outside of the box and develop novel ideas to complex problems.
CIMR runs several national and international educational training courses each year in Biomedical-Innovation, MedTech, & Entrepreneurship at different hosting universities or institutions. CIMR provides young researchers and individuals with entrepreneurial skills that enable them to realise the practical application of research. The course educates participants in all areas of commercialisation of medical research including understanding the need to a problem, stakeholders, brainstorming, prototyping, clinical studies, regulatory strategy, reimbursement pathways, IP/legal, marketing and commercialisation.
If your university or institute is interested in hosting a course, we would like to hear from you.