On a Monday afternoon this month a workshop was held at the Manawatu Golf Club. This was just one of twelve being held in different regions around the country by the MBIE to try to determine if business innovation and economic growth could be catalysed by new institutes. These institutes would operate as private, independently governed entities that would collect commercially focused and industrially exploitable research.

“In some places in the economy access to external research is lacking,” said workshop facilitator Stephen Howard, “however not all regions will get a research institute, it depends on their value for each region.” According to Howard the knowledge capitals of New Zealand at the moment are in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. One of the aims of the MBIE is to try to alter this knowledge landscape to exploit economic opportunity in other areas around the country.

Around 80 attendants from the Manawatu region attended the workshop including researchers from Massey University and Crown Research Institutes, people from economic development agencies, the chamber of commerce, and various business leaders and experts. BCC was also asked to participate and both our CEO and two of our technology transfer advisors went along to offer their own expertise.

What would the success of a regional research institute look like? This was one of the several questions put to us for discussion as we sat in our groups around our tables. The institutes should be self sustainable, attract investment facilitate connections between research and industry. Others were of the opinion that successful institutes would need to leverage what already exists and not be just another type of Crown Research Institute. “It’s a good start to get some dialog going around the idea,” says BCC tech transfer advisor Jaspreet Kaur.

So – what’s next? Workshops will continue to be held around the country into October. For the next stage a registration of interest process will open. This will be followed by a business case development over February to April next year.

For more information go to: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/regions-cities/investigating-regional-research-institutes

Getting great healthcare is a concern for all of us and innovation can really improve healthcare quality, from enhanced processes through to developing new technology. It’s that time of year for MidCentral Health staff to start thinking about how their own ideas for health innovation can bring changes to the healthcare industry.

How the competition works:

Stage 1: The process begins with applicants providing a full description of their idea,which could be anything from a unique new concept to a simple new device. The online application asks participants some critical questions, to help ascertain the stage of their idea and further define the problem they are addressing. “We are hoping to get a range of interesting new ideas this year”, says BCC tech transfer advisor Jane Donaldson; “there have already been some promising entries coming in.”

Up to ten of the best entries will make it through the first stage, which will run until late October. At this point the competition will get more rigorous with the finalists being put through BCC’s idea validation process. Over a series of three evening workshops participants will work with BCC to understand the specifics of their problem and how their solution addresses this, potential benefits of developing their idea for both patients and the DHB, and suitable collaborators.

At the end of it all the finalists will have one last workshop where they will need to step up and present their idea to a panel of judges. By the end of November the competition will be all over and the winner will be announced at an awards evening on 25th November.

The lucky winner will walk away with not only a well validated and developed idea but also with a trip to the Health 2.0 Europe conference, being held in Barcelona in 2016. However, thanks to the sponsorship of Orion Health, all competitors from the competition will also go into a draw to win a brand new Apple Watch!

For more information and to follow the competition, go to:

Business talent scouts are travelling New Zealand looking for a start-up with the potential to be New Zealand’s next global agritech superstar.

Sprout, a national agritech business accelerator, is searching the country for eight budding entrepreneurs with embryonic agritech businesses for a new development programme.

The chosen eight will receive a cash injection of $20,000 and be placed in a 20-week part time and remotely delivered programme that will see them flown around the country for mentoring from world-class business and technical experts.

The programme will culminate in an opportunity to pitch for investment to a hand picked group of potential investors, business leaders and industry experts.

Sprout Programme Manager James Bell-Booth says Sprout wants to grow businesses in their hometowns.

“We’re looking for new businesses from around New Zealand that have big ideas but would benefit from the network, expertise and funding to grow globally. Those engaging in the programme have no need to move from their home locality. This initiative is about finding the next global stars, and boosting regional economies at the same time,” he says.

Sprout is being supported and funded by a mix of public and private sector leaders in agritech and start-up investment, including Callaghan Innovation, Massey University, Gallagher Group, Livestock Improvement Corporation, NZTE, Sir Stephen Tindall’s K1W1 fund, Enterprise Angels and Manawatu Investment Group.

The Sprout accelerator programme was designed by BCC, a Palmerston North-based business incubator. Over the last two years BCC has helped establish four globally focused agritech start-ups, BioLumic, CalfSMART, CropX and Polybatics, which have raised in excess of $15 million in growth capital from New Zealand and overseas investors.

Bell-Booth says lessons from those companies successful start up journeys have contributed to the Sprout programme.

“Our focus is on helping entrepreneurs grow their start-ups from great ideas into investment-ready early stage companies,” he says.

To apply or for more information, see sproutagritech.com. Entries are open until October 16, 2015. The programme commences on 2 November.

 

Run by CEO Ben Neal, CalfSmart is an intelligent, automated system for calf rearing. Neal’s system identifies each calf through an ear tag and is able to customise individual nutritional feeding plans for each one. All the data gathered by the system is delivered to a touch screen on the feeder, as well as to any computer or smart phone, making it easy and efficient to use. Since BCC’s last news update, CalfSmart has acquired several customers around the North Island and installed their automated feeders.

The company closed their most recent round of fund-raising, successfully achieving their half million target from MIG Angel investors. “Our successful funding will mean the ability for us to start building products and secure the procurement of parts from overseas,” says Neal. “Now we should be ready for our next installation period which will be between Christmas and March.”

---

Biolumic has also been having a run of successes lately, especially with their North American trial customer. “We are coming to the end of the first stage of our iceberg lettuce trials with our US trial customer, and so far they have been a success,” says Biolumic CEO Warren Bebb. Biolumic is an especially ground breaking organisation, developing the world’s first UV crop enhancement system. The company, using technology developed by Massey University researcher Jason Wargent,  applies UV treatments to young plants, priming them to thrive and survive. Trials in New Zealand and Australia have shown a 26% increase in total yield.

BioLumic is in the process of raising a round of funding. The funding will help them progress customer acquisition, says Bebb. “It will also advance our development of UV treatments  for other crops, diseases and seeds.”

---

Lastly,  PolyBatics has acquired a key partnership with Spanish based distribution company which will help them break into European markets. It could take them up to two years to complete the European regulatory process, but they are hopeful that their product registration will be finalised much sooner here in New Zealand where trials are nearing completion.

PolyBatics’ unique technology harnesses the natural power of cells to create polymer particles that perform specific functions. They have used this to create Assign-bTB, a bovine skin test reagent for tuberculosis, which is still a risk for livestock. The skin test continues to be tested and reviewed by end users in the UK, Ireland and US with very good feedback. Polybatics is currently in the process of planning their next round of fund-raising, which will go towards further testing and product development.

Business talent scouts looking for next superstar

Business talent scouts are travelling New Zealand looking for a start-up with the potential to be New Zealand’s next global agritech superstar.

Sprout, a national agritech business accelerator, is searching the country for eight budding entrepreneurs with embryonic agritech businesses for a new development programme.

The chosen eight will receive a cash injection of $20,000 and be placed in a 20-week part time and remotely delivered programme that will see them flown around the country for mentoring from world-class business and technical experts.

The programme will culminate in an opportunity to pitch for investment to a hand picked group of potential investors, business leaders and industry experts.

Sprout Programme Manager James Bell-Booth says Sprout wants to grow businesses in their hometowns.

“We’re looking for new businesses from around New Zealand that have big ideas but would benefit from the network, expertise and funding to grow globally. Those engaging in the programme have no need to move from their home locality. This initiative is about finding the next global stars, and boosting regional economies at the same time,” he says.

Sprout is being supported and funded by a mix of public and private sector leaders in agritech and start-up investment, including Callaghan Innovation, Massey University, Gallagher Group, Livestock Improvement Corporation, NZTE, Sir Stephen Tindall’s K1W1 fund, Enterprise Angels and Manawatu Investment Group.

The Sprout accelerator programme was designed by BCC, a Palmerston North-based business incubator. Over the last two years BCC has helped establish four globally focused agritech start-ups, BioLumic, CalfSMART, CropX and Polybatics, which have raised in excess of $15 million in growth capital from New Zealand and overseas investors.

Bell-Booth says lessons from those companies successful start up journeys have contributed to the Sprout programme.

“Our focus is on helping entrepreneurs grow their start-ups from great ideas into investment-ready early stage companies,” he says.

To apply or for more information, see sproutagritech.com. Entries are open until October 16, 2015. The programme commences on 2 November.