Auckland University building

Q&A with UniServices on IP and market readiness

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has a lively ecosystem built around innovation and the commercialisation of university spinouts. We spoke with Will Charles, Executive Director of Commercialisation at UniServices, a subsidiary of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. How would you describe...

Brick Bay Vineyard

Auckland agritech companies addressing 21st Century challenges

Agritech businesses in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland are tackling industry challenges head on, to make a difference for farmers and growers who are facing the big issues. Hectre, Cropsy and WayBeyond are three businesses who have developed and commercialised solutions to work alongside traditional...

West coast of Auckland

Auckland: a connected Pacific city, with work and leisure balance

With nature on its doorstep, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is an international, innovative city that fosters work-life balance. For those wishing to relocate staff to another time zone for 24-hour operations, or seeking to invest and make a new home here, it has a lot to offer. Surrounded by outstanding...

Wind turbines

The growth of Auckland’s and New Zealand’s cleantech ecosystem

Cleantech is a growth sector with impeccable potential – offering strong returns on investment, products and processes benefiting the environment, and a boost to New Zealand’s net-zero commitment. We look at how public and private innovators, investors and other stakeholders are collaborating to...

John Hood Plaza

Investment opportunities from Auckland’s university spinouts

Commercialisation of university-based startups is maturing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. In a recent survey of the outcomes of public research in Australia and New Zealand, the region is amongst the leaders, with collaboration and transparency central to doing business here. The ecosystem works as a...

Looking up at a glass building and artwork at Jellicoe Street in Auckland

Commercialising research at Auckland University of Technology

We talk with Mark Orams, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, about how Auckland University of Technology (AUT) identifies and nurtures the commercial potential of research projects. What makes AUT’s commercialisation programme unique? We’re New Zealand’s sole university of technology – and with our...

View of Auckland City from Mount Eden

Auckland cleantech solutions for a zero-carbon future

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is tackling carbon emission challenges and supporting the New Zealand CleanTech Mission through new IP and global solutions. We spoke with four companies working in the cleantech and climate tech industries in Auckland – Vertus Energy, Vortex Power Systems, CarbonClick and...

New Zealand landscape

AgriTech NZ: Empowering agricultural technology in and from New Zealand

AgriTech NZ is a key forum for agritech innovators, startups, researchers, enablers, investors and agencies. We discuss investment with CEO Brendan O’Connell. What were your main reasons for setting up AgriTech NZ?  We were established to orchestrate the definitive ecosystem of researchers...

Agritech

Q&A with Findex: Financial advice for agritech investors and innovators

We talk with Neil McAra and Steve Alexander of financial advisors Findex, who help startups and investors collaborate on bringing innovative and profitable New Zealand agritech to the world. First, let’s look at the broader picture: what is the importance of agriculture to the national economy, and...

Cropsy Technologies

New Zealand’s ecosystem approach to agritech innovation

Generating NZ$1.6 billion in 2021, agritech is one of the most innovative sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand and one with significant potential to grow. We speak with AgriTechNZ and Findex to learn more about the “smart ecosystem” engineered by Kiwi food and fibre producers to boost efficiency.  The...