University of Auckland beats Australia in survey of active start-ups

The University of Auckland has come out on top in a survey that shows the most active start-up and spinout companies in New Zealand and Australia.

The 2023 Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research (SCOPR) is its latest survey of research organisations.

The survey puts Auckland at number one, ahead of the University of Queensland (UQ) and Australia’s highly respected Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

With 47 active start-ups and spin-outs from 2021-2023, the University of Auckland is well ahead of UQ and CSIRO who both have 33.

The University of Auckland also ranked second for new start-ups and spin-outs, with ten. Canterbury University, second-placed in the New Zealand ecosystem, came second with two.

It is the second year in a row that the University of Auckland has come out on top in the SCOPR survey.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater says the success is a resounding endorsement of the University’s strategy to empower its students to build their research skills and use them for the betterment of society.

“This independent research finding is a testament to the innovative research and start-up culture at the University of Auckland and reflects the commitment of academic and professional staff, as well as students, to translate research into impactful and commercial businesses. We are proud of this recognition as we continue to build on this success."

The SCOPR is conducted each year by Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA), the peak body representing technology transfer professionals and their organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

KCA says in the past five years publicly funded research organisations have achieved commercialisation deals worth $671m in New Zealand. These have had a positive impact on society in a wide range of technologies from life sciences to MedTech, IT and engineering solutions.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Frank Bloomfield said the University has a well-established pipeline for supporting innovation through its wholly owned subsidiary UniServices, its award-winning Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and its new Research and Innovation Office Te Puna Tiketike.

“Innovation is in the DNA of the University. The importance the University places on innovation is reflected in the direct investment it makes in seeding new ideas, many from our PhD students, and supporting staff and students to commercialise these ideas.”

News of the top SCOPR ranking coincides with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s special event on 16 October, marking 21 years of supporting innovative students and entrepreneurs at the University.

Over its lifetime, CIE has seen its alumni raise more than $4.2 billion in capital to get their start-ups off the ground or to take the next step. CIE alumni have created 292 commercial and social ventures in more than 195 countries.

Darsel Keane, director of CIE, says: "Our entrepreneurs are founding ventures that are solving global problems and also creating highly valued jobs here in New Zealand.”