Research Procurement CoP - Chair Olga Ell | University of Melbourne
Monday 15th June 2026
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

????University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Room 305, Level 3
Arts West Building, Royal Parade, Parkville VIC 3010
https://maps.unimelb.edu.au/parkville/building/148a

Format: Face-to-face

This session brings together professionals supporting research procurement, including scientific consumables, equipment, and associated services. The day will focus on sharing current practices, discussing common challenges, and collaborating on solutions through facilitated workshop activities.
A guest speaker will provide insights into Indigenous procurement within the research environment. This session is open to anyone working in or alongside research procurement, with light pre-work to be shared in advance.

ESG / Social Procurement CoP
Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm
 

University of Melbourne,
Room 208, Level 2
11 Barry Street
https://share.google/HCkwXMEYpUuP8NJ3I
Format: Face-to-face 

This interactive session will guide participants through developing a social procurement business case. Attendees will leave with a practical framework that can be tailored to support and influence ESG and social procurement initiatives within their institutions.

Procurement Technology CoP | Facilitator Fajib Manoly RMIT
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
 

????University of Melbourne, 
Room 108, Level 2, 11 Barry Street
https://share.google/HCkwXMEYpUuP8NJ3I

This interactive session explores the current and future state of procurement technology across the sector. Participants will align on what constitutes a modern, end-to-end digital procurement ecosystem and the key outcomes it should enable, including improved efficiency, compliance, visibility, and risk management.

The session will examine existing system landscapes, highlighting strengths, common pain points, and challenges such as fragmented platforms, inconsistent data, and limited visibility across the procurement lifecycle. A focused discussion on supplier and contract management will consider current capabilities, maturity gaps, and opportunities to improve performance tracking, contract oversight, and spend transparency.

User experience and adoption will also be explored, with an emphasis on simplifying procurement processes, increasing self-service capability, and addressing barriers to engagement.

Looking ahead, the group will consider emerging technologies—including AI, automation, and predictive analytics—and their potential to transform procurement practices.

The session will conclude with a forward-looking discussion on prioritising initiatives, defining a practical roadmap, and establishing success measures and next steps for the working group.

Capital Procurement CoP | Facilitated by Andrea Napier | University of Tasmania
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm

University of Melbourne,
Room 208, Level 2
11 Barry Street
https://share.google/HCkwXMEYpUuP8NJ3I

A dedicated session focused on capital procurement, providing an opportunity for participants to share experiences, discuss challenges, and explore approaches within this specialised area.