Meeting unmet technology needs in the industrial sector - Annual Report 2018

News & events

Meeting unmet technology needs in the industrial sector - Annual Report 2018

8 April, 2019

Greg Olsen, Manager at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

While spinouts are an important and high profile measure of our focus on delivering benefit to society, they are not the only mechanism. We also have an even greater number of research partnerships and licences with companies, the details of which must usually remain commercial-in-confidence.

Many of these have been catalysed by our industry interface events which provide a platform for company partners to pitch unmet technology needs for which MacDiarmid Institute researchers can then provide solutions.

In 2018 there has been a strong focus on sustainability, with industry partners including Mint Innovation (uses bio-based techniques to recover metals from electronic waste and mining residues), Avertana (extracts commodity materials from industrial waste) and Aquafortus (has developed a material for wastewater treatment that operates with unprecedented energy efficiency). Through the MacDiarmid Institute these companies are accessing expertise and tools to advance their technology and product ranges.

Building partnerships with Māori remains a priority and in 2018 we engaged with Poutama to explore the potential to contribute scientific expertise to their initiatives, and we participated in the launch of NUKU ki te Puku, a nutrition venture led by Māori entrepreneurs and involving scientists, investors, marketers and horticulturalists.

By working and workshopping with MacDiarmid researchers, we have identified a variety of project opportunities. We are moving towards a collaboration where the deep science at our New Zealand universities can be applied to a range of market-ready products.

Greg Olsen Manager, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Powerhouse Ventures and the MacDiarmid Institute worked together to enable Silventum to take on a sponsored PhD, supporting the company
to achieve its dual goals of enhancing current industry products while also developing a pipeline of innovative new products.

Steve Silvey Investment Manager at Powerhouse Ventures & now Director of Silventum Ltd

“We were delighted when the MacDiarmid Institute quickly identified and funded a recent graduate to work on this project as a Research Assistant.”

Dr Will Barker CEO of Mint Innovation Ltd