Immersed in R+D: Industry at the Heart of Research
- Paul Egglestone
- Nov 4, 2025
- 2 min read
For most people, a PhD is something you pursue before or after a career in industry. But what happens when the two run side by side?
In The Elephant’s Leg II: Creativity in Action, Justin Dean, Managing Director of Envent, shows how a doctoral project can double as structured R+D for a company. His chapter, Immersed in R+D, is a candid look at what it means to bridge academic inquiry and commercial practice at the same time
Why this matters
Most universities treat “industry engagement” as something that happens at arm’s length: advisory boards, consultancy contracts, or licensing deals. Dean’s approach is different. By embedding research inside his company, he demonstrates:
Trust as an R+D challenge: exploring how AI avatars can build credibility with users.
Practice-led knowledge: insights that are valuable not just to his company, but to the wider research community.
Translation in real time: research findings applied directly into live products and services.
Lessons from immersive R+D
Industry can be a laboratory — not just a client.
Doctoral research can deliver value to both academia and commercial partners simultaneously.
Applied questions matter: exploring trust, ethics, and user experience in AI isn’t theoretical; it’s central to adoption.
Why FASTlab cares
At FASTlab, we’ve long argued that creativity should sit at the centre of R+D. Justin Dean’s work reinforces this — showing that when industry is treated as a collaborator rather than a case study, innovation accelerates.
It’s also a reminder that universities need to evolve. If they want to stay relevant, they must find ways to support industry-based research as a legitimate and valuable mode of R+D.
📖 Read Justin Dean’s chapter in The Elephant’s Leg II: Creativity in Action: Open Access Link
💡 Learn more about Envent: envent.com.au
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