A team of researchers from universities, CRIs and industry has won the KiwiNet Commercialisation Collaboration award.
TiTeNZ was established in 2012 to develop a titanium powder metallurgy platform for advanced tech products and export- focused companies. It’s a collaboration between the University of Waikato, Callaghan Innovation, GNS Science, the University of Auckland and the Titanium Industry Development Association.
Among the newly-commercialised tech for the yachting and defense industries is a firearm suppressor designed and made using 3D printing, a crew safety knife and a proof of concept ion beam coating process for metal surfaces.
Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) won two major award categories and was runner up for the Supreme Award. Precision Seafood Harvesting is the commercialisation phase of nearly 10 years of New Zealand research.
Fishing companies Aotearoa Fisheries, Sanford and Sealord are investing $26 million into the project under a Primary Growth Partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries, which is matching the industry investment. Scientists at Plant & Food Research are partnering with the fishing companies to develop and trial the technology on commercial fishing vessels.
“The programme is in its third year of commercialising fishing technology that will allow fish to be landed alive, and in perfect condition, while safely releasing small fish and by-catch,” says primary industries minister Nathan Guy.
“The potential economic and environmental benefits are huge, and it’s no surprise it’s attracting so much attention. This is a $52 million project with funding from both industry and government.”
PSH netted the Researcher Entrepreneur Award for Alistair Jerrett at Plant & Food Research, recognising smart entrepreneurship and the ability to bring science to market. The programme also took out The People’s Choice Award recognising the Plant & Food scientists voted by their peers.
The Wireless Network Partnership between Tait Communications and the Wireless Research Centre at the University of Canterbury Research & Business Partnership Award while Kifunensine Serendipity, an ingredient in the manufacture of an enzyme replacement therapeutic for the treatment of a rare genetic disorder, developed by GlycoSyn, took the Commercial Deal Award.
KiwiNet, or the Kiwi Innovation Network, is a consortium of 13 Universities, crown research institutes and Callaghan.
