Hi students,
BioDesign is an experiential learning opportunity. Teams of MBA and Master of Engineering students work together to explore, invent and commercialise medtech innovations. Join us and bring together all the knowledge and skills you have learned to solve a real-world problem, one that has meaningful impact.
Join BioDesign to develop a broad range of skills that can help you create and commercialise innovation, not just for healthcare startups.
… Dr. Nam Tran, Academic Director, MBA Program.
BioDesign is a learning opportunity that differentiates our students among recruiters, demonstrating the ability to work in a cross-functional team, solving difficult real-world problems. Such skills are becoming increasingly sought after by organisations seeking to hire talented and well-trained MBAs and Master of Engineering students.
Why should I join?
Hands-on learning. Go beyond readings and cases. Work on a live project with patients, hospital staff and healthcare workers, alongside a top-notch engineering team that can build and test prototypes.
Broaden your horizons. Through your project, work with people from across multiple disciplines. Develop and test your ideas with engineers, business developers, intellectual property professionals, investors, healthcare workers and corporate partners. This contributes to your interdisciplinary team skills and help you learn to think from multiple and diverse perspectives.
Build your network. We have partnerships with hospitals, accelerators, the investor community, the Wade Institute and other innovation teams in Melbourne. This will help you connect with a close-knit network supportive of innovators and entrepreneurs in Australia.
Make a difference! Whether you choose to continue working with your team after graduation or decide to engage in other career opportunities, your participation in BioDesign is a significant contribution to healthcare innovation. Invest your time and energy into a project that could end up going to market and making a huge difference to healthcare and patient care.
Learn more about our previous cohorts: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
What’s new for 2024
In 2020, we expanded flexibility for MBA students willing to work extra hard during the semester break to complete the course by September. This option is open only to Part Time MBA students graduating in October. However after reviewing performance for the past few years, we would strongly discourage MBA students from seeking an early completion, unless absolutely necessary. While achievable with good outcomes, it takes a heavy toll on the students’ well-being.
Since 2022, Full-Time MBA students are able to enroll in BioDesign, thanks to the revised curriculum for the MBA program.
Over the past four years, we have expanded the emphasis on innovation concepts that can be applied more broadly, i.e., whether students decide to develop a corporate career or join a startup after BioDesign.
Key milestones for 2024
BioDesign counts as three consecutive courses for our MBA students. But, instead of studying three disconnected courses, elevate your MBA learning experience by embarking on a single coherent journey. Tackle a real-world medical problem and master a range of topics, including: needs finding, concept development, design thinking, market analysis, prototyping, intellectual property, regulations, market entry strategy, and partnering for innovation.
Here are our key dates:
Life after BioDesign: multiple career options
BioDesign opens the doors to varied career options. A number of BioDesign alumni have developed their project ideas into startups, joining various accelerators and raising funding to enter the market. These include companies such as Navi, Lenexa, Vysum, Ventora, Anura, Stelect and several others. Other BioDesign alumni have gone on to successful corporate careers (both in healthcare as well as in other fields), or done innovative work at established firms.
Navi Technologies grew out of a 2016 BioDesign project and is led by CEO Alex Newton (MBA, 2017). Navi won a number of awards, completed the Texas Medical Accelerator and Melbourne Accelerator programs, and joined the Actuator Accelerator in Melbourne. In 2019 and 2020, they raised over $2 million in funding and are currently piloting with hospitals. In 2023 they entered humant trials. According to Alex:
“I studied an MBA to explore what career opportunities were out there. The BioDesign course provided a structured way to understand the intersection between the healthcare industry, technology development and business. This led to us starting our own company, and provided an opportunity to build my own career in an area that I’m truly passionate about.”
Megan Astle completed her MBA in 2018. She recently worked as Director, External Relations at Monash University where she led the development and implementation of complex, large-scale strategic projects and partnerships, engaging with senior management and external executive stakeholders across organisations. At MBS, she was part of 2017 BioDesign team RespiRate, which later launched as Curatek.
“BioDesign was easily the highlight of my MBA program. It was extremely satisfying to work from clinical challenge and market, to product concept and business model, applying MBA learnings to a real-world business along the way. I now have a strong understanding of medtech commercialisation and the challenges for startups. This has been extremely useful in my ongoing career.”
Sam Ellis has always had a passion for innovation, especially in the automotive sector. He worked at Ford Motor Company since 2002, and became Manager (Vehicle Dynamics) in 2011 and Manager (Vehicle Architecture) in 2015. He completed BioDesign in 2016 and his MBA in 2017. In 2018 moved to Joost Australia where he became Head Engineer. According to Sam:
“The BioDesign course has had a major impact on my perception of business and my professional path.
The key benefit of the course was the opportunity to try out all the business theory in real life and get a cold, hard assessment of what you’re really made of when you have to run the show. To quote Mike Tyson: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
The course didn’t compel everyone to take that opportunity; the chance was there for those who wanted to have a go – and I would recommend it to everyone.”
Sam found that the course has made a long-term impact on his managerial abilities.
“The contents of the course were broad and general and it would be possible to take other classes and study the same material. The advantage of BioDesign course was putting everything into practice. Innovation centred on healthtech was not something that immediately attracted me but it did provide me a clean slate to work from. The experience of having to apply and assess the processes of innovation, business modelling, marketing and founding a company from the ground up has taught me to move beyond my own assumptions and focus on the needs of the target customer.
The course helped me identify my inner entrepreneur and has given me greater confidence in leading innovation teams in other fields. Hardly a working day goes by where I have not used some principle learnt or some experience gained in the BioDesign course.
There’s nothing like starting a business to teach you a few lessons about business.”
Contact us
Classes start in February. Only a limited number of places are available. We require a 1-page application form and 1-2 page CV. The process is quick and easy. Applicants should have completed the core (or close to it).
MBA students who have questions should contact Kwang (k.lim@mbs.edu) and Engineering students should contact David Grayden (grayden@unimelb.edu.au).
Please forward your application to Student Services Team via studentservices@mbs.edu.
Please click here to watch the BioDesign2024 Information session recording from 5th December 2023.
BioDesign Innovation Melbourne 