Professor David Williams

Emeritus Investigator

Phone:: +64 9 373 7599, ext. 89877

Address:
School of Chemical Sciences
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92 019
Auckland 1142

david.williams@auckland.ac.nz

Biography

David is best known as a serial founder of technology start-up companies. A graduate of the University of Auckland (PhD, electrochemistry, 1974), after post-doctoral work at Oxford University and Imperial College London and industry experience at IMI Titanium, Birmingham, he developed his research career in electrochemistry and chemical sensors at the UK Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, in the 1980s.

He co-founded Capteur Sensors Ltd; was Chief Scientist of Inverness Medical Innovations, and since joining the University of Auckland, has co-founded Air Quality Ltd; Orbis Ltd, and SpotCheck Technologies.

His research has broad scope in electrochemistry and chemical sensors – and he is an inventor on around 50 patents and patent applications. Most importantly, perhaps: he has been a major contributor to culture change within the MacDiarmid Institute, in supporting and mentoring other researchers interested in commercialising research.

You want your brain to hurt, to get out of your comfort zone. You attract people when you do things like this. You respond to sparks and generate your own sparks. We do the weird stuff no-one else is doing.
Professor David Williams

In the news

Annual Report

Patents and spinouts 2018 - Annual Report 2018

April 8, 2019

This article from our 2018 Annual Report provides information about the MacDiarmid Institute's latest inventions, patents and spinouts.

News Article

2018 KiwiNet Awards Finalist - Professor David Williams

July 11, 2018

The MacDiarmid Institute is pleased to announce that Professor David Wiliams is a finalist in the 2018 KiwiNet Awards.

News Article

MacDiarmid Researcher and University of Auckland Professor David Williams shortlisted for 2018 KiwiNet Award

May 30, 2018

This award recognises an entrepreneurial researcher who has made outstanding contributions to business innovation.

Interface Magazine

Penny Brothers: Exploring surface patterning

July 13, 2015

Professor Penny Brothers is as proud and enthusiastic talking about her family as she is her science – her screensaver is a beautiful shot of her climbing Mt Aspiring with her son Tristan. She tells me, with some pleasure, that she’s delighted to be the incoming President of both the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry and the New Zealand Alpine Club in 2016.

Podcasts

MacDiarmid Investigators Cather Simpson and David Williams discuss how materials science is changing the way farmers analyse milk – Our Changing World

May 9, 2019

MacDiarmid Investigators Cather Simpson and David Williams discuss how materials science is changing the way farmers analyse milk – Our Changing World.

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