Stephen Rodda

Professor Stephen Rodda serves as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Industry and Innovation at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), providing strategic leadership across industry engagement, knowledge transfer, business development, and commercialisation. He oversees the Entrepreneurial Campus initiative to position UNSW as Australia’s pre-eminent entrepreneurial university by translating research into real-world outcomes through student, staff, and alumni innovation.

His educational background includes:

• First-class Honours degree and PhD in Biochemistry (University Medal recipient) from the University of Adelaide
• Post-doctoral training at Harvard University as CJ Martin and Arthritis Foundation Fellow
• MBA and training at Harvard Business School
• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD)

Rodda’s research and professional focus centers on technology commercialisation and innovation ecosystems, with expertise spanning biomedical, engineering, and satellite IoT sectors. His work bridges academic research with global market applications through structured technology licensing, company formation, and strategic investment. He maintains an international executive network across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australasia to drive cross-sector innovation.

His scientific recognitions include:

• University Medal (University of Adelaide)
• CJ Martin Fellowship
• Arthritis Foundation Fellowship

As an active practitioner, Rodda has secured over $500 million in investments and grants while facilitating hundreds of technology licensing deals and founding dozens of companies. His board leadership at Myriota Pty Ltd (satellite IoT), BiomeBank (microbiome therapeutics), and Ferronova Pty Ltd (medical devices) demonstrates hands-on guidance in capital raising, management team building, and global market expansion. This portfolio approach integrates academic research with venture creation across high-growth sectors.

Rodda spearheads UNSW’s Entrepreneurial Campus initiative, creating institutional frameworks to nurture entrepreneurial capability university-wide. His leadership establishes pathways for researchers to develop commercial acumen while connecting industry partners with cutting-edge innovations, fundamentally shaping UNSW’s strategic direction in research impact.