ANU launches co-working space for student entrepreneurs

21 Mar 2018

Students at ANU will now have a dedicated space to develop their startups and other innovative projects, with the opening of the University's first student co-working space.

ANU has officially launched Square One, a space that aims to connect entrepreneurial students to innovative networks and initiatives at ANU and around the Canberra region. The new space is free for ANU students and features hot-desking facilities alongside permanent workstations and lockers for the use of members, and is also bookable for meetings and events.

Professor Michael Cardew-Hall, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Innovation, said that the space would provide a great platform for students to pursue their entrepreneurial pathways.

"ANU is proud to be launching this exciting space. As well as offering a physical location for students to work on their entrepreneurial pursuits, Square One will also make it easier for students to access other valuable resources and networks both within ANU but also the broader innovation community, such as the CBR Innovation Network and Entry 29," said Professor Cardew-Hall.

A number of student startups and initiatives have already taken residence in the new space, including Pixelated Induction, Artifex ANU, Civilise.ai and the ANU Observer.

Michael Turvey, Bachelor of Policy Studies student and News Editor and Chair at the ANU Observer, was familiar with the challenges that students may face when trying to make a change or start something new.

"...The barriers are surprisingly high, and physical working space was a huge part of that," said Michael.

"The work Square One and Innovation ANU are doing goes a long way to make it easier for groups like us to thrive and improve this campus community."

Jack Foster, Community Manager of Square One, praised the collaborative spirit that had already developed amongst the users of the space.

"I am very proud of the enthusiasm to collaborate and engage with each other our members are bringing to the space, and excited to see where our community leads this project," Jack said.

"The launch of the space is worth celebrating, but more important is the open and supportive culture and ethos our student teams are instilling in the innovation community at ANU."

The space adds to the existing initiatives at ANU that aim to foster student entrepreneurship, including InnovationACT, the Makerspace and TechLauncher.

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Square One is free for ANU students, and accepts applications on a case by case basis. For more information, email squareone@anu.edu.au or visit Square One on Facebook.

Page Owner: Innovation ANU