Friday, March 29, 2024

Breeding ground for innovators

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More than 70 innovations displayed at the National Agricultural Fieldays provided a fertile hunting ground for Callaghan Innovation, the government agency charged with turning research and development into market success. Since it was established three-and-a-half years ago, the agency has attended Fieldays to provide advice to innovators and exhibitors, sponsor awards and fly the flag.
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Callaghan Innovation was joint partner in the Innovations Centre and awards with Vodafone.

Its executives had spoken to all of the 70 innovators in the Fieldays Innovation Centre and to their clients elsewhere on the giant site, a spokesman said.

Another sponsored section of the event was named the Fieldays Innovation Accelerator, which showcased six companies that entered previous Fieldays awards and now had market-ready products.

They were LiquidStrip, Pastoral Robotics, AgTech Industries, Carry-Mate, Danz Zappz, and Farm Medix.

Callaghan Innovation also participated in the Fieldays LAB, with Locus Research.

On-site innovators could meet advisers to talk about access to technical and scientific expertise, impartial commercial advice, industry networks, development grants, and getting products to market.

The Callaghan spokesman said it had no interest in intellectual property ownership of innovations by intending clients, but charged for its services.

It in latest annual report, Callaghan Innovation said it had helped more than 500 businesses get grants and signed over 600 research and technical contracts.

It had invested in three food innovation centres – FoodBowl in Auckland, FoodWaikato in Hamilton and FoodSouth at Lincoln, Canterbury.

It had revenue of $232 million in the 2015 financial year and made grants worth $138m.

The Fieldays innovations site was packed with exhibitors and spectators for the four days.

Seven innovations received awards, including two that received two each – the Styx Batten and Outrigger System by Styx Solutions and the Pest Trap Reset Mechanism entered by Kevin Bain.

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