Business Models Inc. runs ongoing multi-party innovation labs in Queensland’s business ecosystem and beyond, with international labs spanning across San Francisco and the Netherlands.
Following Business Model Inc’s mature lab framework, the Infrastructure CoLab has been designed as a multi-year project to evolve in line with industry, guided by cutting edge research and international insights. In 2021, the Infrastructure CoLab will be a 4 month immersive innovation process that begins with a public forum and culminates in a showcase event to determine the resources allocated to the implementation pathway of the solutions explored. A pool of funding will be available to seed these concepts beyond the lab. The Infrastructure CoLab will remain as an ongoing platform to nurture and grow infrastructure industry solutions. As part of this legacy, a longitudinal academic evaluation of the Infrastructure CoLab will be undertaken to ensure benefits to industry and environment are maximised through optimised lab modelling.
Why we developed the Infrastructure CoLab
Acknowledging the efforts of numerous individuals and companies, the Infrastructure CoLab sees the opportunity to support Australia’s infrastructure sector to innovate and accelerate the transformation associated with sustainable materials use, improved performance of technologies, and the move to circular supply chains.
Altering current patterns of materials use and transitioning towards circular economy principles in the construction and infrastructure sector is critical to address the most pressing sustainability issues of climate change and natural capital decline. While many recycled and more sustainable products exist, recent research identifies the many challenges limiting the use of such materials in the sector. Proximity of supply, supply security, tendering timelines, evidence of quality and an unwillingness to change are just some of the factors restricting uptake of such materials and the transition towards circular economy principles. As many of these factors require an industry or whole of supply chain approach, there is a need to bring together companies pursuing common goals to develop solutions to these challenges. This is why the University of Queensland, Business Models Inc and Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia developed the Infrastructure CoLab.
The Infrastructure CoLab utilises Business Model Inc’s proven co-innovation lab framework, the subject matter expertise of Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia and access to the world’s leading academics through the University of Queensland. The Infrastructure CoLab will also be evaluated to understand its effectiveness to support industries to transition to circular economy principles.
Read our latest publications here
Arup to reimagine the business case for circular economy in public infrastructure through the Infrastructure CoLab
We must reimagine the business case for investment in public infrastructure Joyanne Manning With the imminent threat of climate change,…
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Our most recent lab
CHILL!
Cisco's Hyper Innovation Living Lab
“CHILL is an intensely focused innovation experience that is turning the traditional innovation model on its head. It brings together a select group of customers, vendors, designers, and hackers to solve a common industry challenge.”
Business Models was brought in to co-design, produce, and facilitate the “Securing the Digitized Supply Chain” CHILL Lab. Starting with the initial emails to executives from some of Cisco’s largest partners, to co-designing the flow of content and the innovation lab itself, to facilitating the individual concept teams on their innovation journeys, Business Models Inc., worked side-by-side with the Cisco CHILL team to create an environment that enabled “hyperinnovation.”
150
Participants
20+
Investors
5
Teams
5
Companies
48
Hours
