Minister impressed by innovation showcase at Newmarket precinct

The Finance Minister, the Hon Nicola Willis, who is also the Minister for Economic Growth toured the Newmarket Innovation Precinct at the University, on 20 March.

The Minister spent time talking with researchers at several of the research laboratories and centres based at the precinct. 

“I’ve heard such positive stories today and more, I’ve seen the light in the eyes of the people working here," she said. 

Professor Frank Bloomfield, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation, hosted the minister. He spoke of the aim to bring together entrepreneurs, researchers and start-ups in a collaborative space to enable innovation to flourish for the benefit of New Zealand.

“We want the Newmarket Innovation Precinct to be the front door for the whole of the University’s innovation ecosystem.”

The University is home to a range of innovation and commercialisation initiatives and teams, including UniServices, the University’s commercialisation arm, the Auckland Bioengineering Institute’s Cloud 9 incubator for startups, the New Zealand Product Accelerator and the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Professor Bloomfield said the Newmarket Innovation Precinct had the space and location. The challenge was how to activate it tocreate an innovation hub to drive economic growth for the region and country.

The Minister spent time with Olaf Diegel, Professor of Additive Manufacturing, who showed her a range of commercial initiatives produced by the Additive Manufacturing Lab, from high-end mountain bike components to specialist tools for aircraft maintenance. The Lab has also produced bespoke electric guitars.

The Minister was particularly interested in the University’s Formula SAE Team, an initiative where students build e-racing cars for competition, and the Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing and Design, home of high-tech materials for highly specialised industrial uses.

The Minister took part in an innovation round table, where representatives of companies founded on innovative technology developed at the University spoke about their journeys. Kitea Health has developed the world’s first implantable brain pressure sensor. Alimetry has commercialised a non-invasive device for gastric mapping and diagnosis. Kara Technology is the first in the world to develop avatars that can translate sign language in real time.

Said Willis: "It’s wonderful to see and good to have an understanding of how the innovation ecosystem here works.”