Forum focuses on boosting research commercialisation

MEDIA RELEASE

Forum focuses on collaboration to boost research commercialisation

Hamilton, New Zealand, 10 May 2011 –

Commercialisation professionals from around the country are meeting at a forum in Wellington today designed to encourage knowledge sharing and network building. The forum organised by the Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet), a newly formed group of six Universities and four Crown Research Institutes, aims to facilitate the development of relationships, project collaboration and best practice across public research organisations.

One of New Zealand’s leading entrepreneurs Bill Day, Chairman elect of the Investment Committee of KiwiNet says, “Research based organisations generate a wealth of discoveries. It’s exciting to see the possibilities for inventions and innovations and then working to create a commercial outcome. By taking an NZ Inc approach to generating and exploiting innovation we can share very valuable knowledge and networks that will increase our chances of successfully getting projects to market.”

KiwiNet’s mission is to facilitate and foster a thriving national innovation ecosystem capable of significantly transforming outputs of public research organisations to maximise economic benefits for New Zealand. Members of the initiative to establish KiwiNet include Industrial Research Limited, Otago Innovation Limited, Plant & Food Research, Lincoln University, AUT Enterprises Limited, AgResearch, University of Canterbury, WaikatoLink, Viclink and Scion.

Project collaboration is a key objective of the forum and participants will share details of commercialisation projects and identify complementary projects and individual expertise. Breakout sessions will be held to enable sharing of best practice in IP management, investment, licencing, technical development, commercial and collaboration. Guest speakers are Bill Day, former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner and founder of Seaworks and Shamubeel Eaqub the Principal Economist at New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

Duncan Mackintosh the Chief Executive of WaikatoLink, the commercial arm of the University of Waikato, a KiwiNet member says, “We’re all working to create commercially viable IP and start-ups from research based ventures. By working with other commercialisation organisations across New Zealand we can increase the flow of outcomes from research and increase the impact of New Zealand’s investment in research and innovation. It’s important that relationships between commercial staff are made at all levels to ensure a strong and active network across New Zealand’s commercialisation offices.”

Bill Day says, “Transferring science and technology into New Zealand industry plays an important role in achieving the economic shift we need as a country. Between the scientist or entrepreneur and the market we need to build links with commercialisation professionals with domain knowledge, angel investors with track record and knowledge, later stage funders, government networks, and market experts. By getting together and building these links we develop the capability to implement new ideas.”

The forum, supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, is the first in a series of regular meetings aimed at strengthening long term collaboration and co-ordination between public research organisations. This event is open to commercialisation staff from all universities, CRIs, incubators and other similar organisations.

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