Cross-Disciplinary Skills: Power of STEM and Business Together
Pairing a degree in science or engineering with business and leadership skills can fast-track your career.
In an AI-driven economy, cross-disciplinary ability is becoming a practical advantage for graduates who want to move beyond purely technical roles.
When a degree in science or engineering is paired with business skills and leadership capability, it can widen your options and accelerate progression into higher-responsibility work.
For many technical or specialist jobs, there’s a clear career path from school to the desired role. For positions that don’t require narrow specialist knowledge, the right mix of credentials, personality, and experience can often seal the deal.
But the transition to leadership is far less predictable. Today’s CEOs include both veterans of global corporations and young entrepreneurs with billion-dollar ideas.
Automation and AI are reshaping work at speed. The World Economic Forum reports that, on average, workers can expect about two-fifths of their existing skill sets to be transformed or become outdated over the 2025–2030 period. The Future of Jobs Report 2025
“The answer is STEM,” says the Hon Karen Andrews MP, Assistant Minister for Science. “It’s the ability to think methodically about your work; to solve problems critically and systematically. Employers want to know that you have the skills to navigate new environments quickly and authoritatively.”
Leonie Walsh, Lead Scientist to the Victorian Government, adds that employers of tomorrow are looking for “a better balance of skills including academia, active learning and business competencies”. “A changing marketplace requires students to be more adaptable and flexible, and have good interpersonal and communication skills,” she says.
You may want to start a business based on cross-disciplinary skills: your STEM background combined with business knowledge. A decade ago, tech entrepreneurship was still a niche choice, with only a small share of Australian businesses operating as start-ups. But the ecosystem has grown rapidly, fuelled by sustained government and private-sector investment in innovation and research translation.
A major federal innovation push began in 2015, signalling long-term support for entrepreneurship and cross-disciplinary talent. Since then, universities across Australia have expanded programs that encourage hands-on problem solving, collaboration between faculties, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
“There’s no best option, but we’re moving into a period where there’s more support to explore becoming an entrepreneur, and risk-taking is seen as a positive thing,” says Leonie.
AI Era: Why Cross-Disciplinary Skills Matter More
The rise of generative AI and data-driven decision-making has made cross-disciplinary ability a competitive advantage. Technical knowledge alone is no longer enough. Professionals are often expected to:
- work fluently with digital and analytical tools
- communicate complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences
- understand commercial and ethical implications
- lead teams that span both technical and business functions
STEM expertise paired with leadership and business insight is becoming a common expectation in science, technology, engineering, and adjacent fields.
One practical way to build that mix is to add business exposure alongside your technical training. This might include a management minor or elective sequence, a student consulting project, a product or operations internship, or a structured program in areas like project management, finance for non-finance professionals, or commercialisation.
Whichever path you choose, a university is a strong place to develop these skills and test different directions through electives, projects, placements, and cross-faculty opportunities.
“Grab any opportunity you can, and where one doesn’t exist, create it,” says Karen.
