Our Partnerships Ecosystem

Partnerships Matter In The Work We Do

Building strong partnerships is essential to developing talent pipelines that meet the needs of government and industry.

Our role is to tell the story and connect education with the pace of technological change and research—but we cannot do it alone. Industry moves fast, and education must keep up. We rely on guidance and insight from our partners to ensure that what we deliver reflects real-world demands.

Partnerships give us the knowledge, context, and foresight to prepare future talent for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"Partnerships aren’t just about collaboration—they’re about accountability. We set the standard by embedding governance, clarity, and strategic alignment into every relationship. That’s what makes our partnerships sustainable and impactful."

Duncan Burck - Founder and CEO MCB Business Partners

Who We Work With

We collaborate with a diverse network of stakeholders to achieve shared goals and create meaningful impact. Each group plays a unique role in shaping the future of education, industry, and research.

Governance: Doing Partnerships Right

Effective partnerships require more than goodwill—they demand structure, clarity, and accountability. Historically, education partnerships and collaborations have often been seen as a “social nice-to-have” rather than a strategic priority. We are changing that narrative.

Our approach ensures partnerships are built on strong governance frameworks that protect all stakeholders and deliver real value. This means:

• Clear Intellectual Property (IP) Agreements – Defining ownership and usage rights upfront.
• Risk Management – Identifying and mitigating risks to safeguard outcomes.
• Compliance and Transparency – Aligning with legal, ethical, and organisational standards.
• Strategic Alignment – Ensuring partnerships contribute to long-term goals, not just short-term wins.

By embedding governance into every collaboration, we create partnerships that are sustainable, equitable, and impactful.

"Through this collaboration between Port of Newcastle and MCB Business Partners, young people have had the opportunity to share their ideas and shape how careers and opportunities at a Port of the Future are presented to young women and girls. Empowering our youth to have a voice in shaping the future is a positive step for our young people, our industries, and our region."

Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon MP

Showcasing Our Partnerships in Action

Partnerships are more than words—they’re real collaborations delivering tangible outcomes. Here, we highlight some of the organisations we work with and the impact we’ve achieved together.

Each example highlights how we've worked to produce an education expeirence or strategic partnerships that is providing young people an opportuntoiy to learn more about a career corridor or pathway and for our and help us build talent pipelines for the assocayted industry.

NSW Department of Education

STEM Enrichment Program

For more than four years, we’ve partnered with the NSW Department of Education through the STEM Enrichment Program to inspire students and strengthen the future STEM workforce. Together, we create education experiences that give young people the opportunity to explore career corridors and pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

This long-standing collaboration also guides us in engaging education systems, teachers, and students to make smart investments that identify and nurture talent for industries that need it most. By aligning curriculum with real-world skills and industry insights, we help build teacher confidence and student aspiration, ensuring education keeps pace with technological change.

Commonwealth Government of Australia

Net Z(ed) – Leading the Charge for Net Zero Education

MCB Business Partners is proud to lead the Net Z(ed) initiative—a Commonwealth-backed project designed to raise awareness of Net Zero and prepare young people to thrive in a transitioning economy. This is more than collaboration; it’s a coordinated effort uniting education, industry, and research to turn vision into reality.

What began as a pilot has grown into a strategic partnership delivering real outcomes. Together with stakeholders across government, industry, and academia, we’re creating education experiences that spark curiosity about sustainability and innovation, opening pathways into emerging Net Zero careers.

This work is critical to ensuring teachers and students have the tools and knowledge to develop the skills needed to prosper in a low-carbon, electrified future.

FastLab

FastLab – Turning Research into Real-World Impact

Our partnership with FastLab brings speed, agility, and creativity to research and development, ensuring these benefits flow into education and industry. Together, we focus on translating research into practical solutions, navigating complex challenges, and embedding innovative thinking into every project.

This collaboration also supports robust impact reporting, giving stakeholders clear insights into outcomes and value delivered. FastLab’s ability to combine technical expertise with creative problem-solving makes it an essential partner in shaping future-ready education experiences.

Core Electronics

Accelerating Innovation and Building Community

Core Electronics is a key partner in accelerating technology adoption in education. Working with some of the world’s leading innovators, they enable us to develop and deliver cutting-edge tools and solutions into classrooms quickly and effectively.

Through their expertise and resources, we empower teachers and students to engage with real-world technologies—fostering practical skills, creativity, and innovation. Beyond the classroom, this partnership helps build a vibrant community of educators, learners, and makers who share knowledge, collaborate, and inspire each other. Together, we ensure education keeps pace with the rapid evolution of technology while creating a connected ecosystem that supports lifelong learning.