KiwiNet News 27 January 2016

Baldwins backs KiwiNet in transforming innovative research into NZ’s cutting edge businesses

27 January 2016

The Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet), New Zealand’s national network of Universities, Crown Research Institutes and Crown Entities dedicated to taking a collaborative approach to research commercialisation, has announced Baldwins Intellectual Property as a Major Corporate Partner.

KiwiNet helps public research organisations turn great research discoveries and innovations into commercial success by providing them access to the tools, connections, investment and support they need. 

Dr Bram Smith, General Manager of KiwiNet sees the collaboration with Baldwins as an excellent match, commenting, “Patenting and IP protection strategies are critical to many of the research commercialisation projects that KiwiNet supports. Baldwins have generously offered to contribute their invaluable expertise and connections to help scientific discoveries power business innovation in New Zealand. It’s great to have organisations such as Baldwins making a commitment to boosting innovation that will produce good economic returns for New Zealand”.

Andrew Turnbull, Chair of KiwiNet’s Investment Committee states, “Projects presented to the KiwiNet Investment Committee often need expert input in key areas including intellectual property protection. Baldwins’ partnership enables the Committee to allocate specialty support at the very early stages of project development. This is critical to ensuring each project has the best possible opportunity for commercial success.”

Baldwins joins KiwiNet Strategic Partner, BNZ and fellow Major Partners, MinterEllisonRuddWatts and PwC.

Tim Jackson, Partner at Baldwins says,

“Universities and Crown Research Institutes are the engine room of innovation and IP generation in New Zealand. We see our partnership with KiwiNet as a fantastic opportunity to support these organisations.  Ensuring that the IP generated by New Zealand’s science researchers is captured and is able to be effectively commercialised is key to generating returns for New Zealand’s taxpayers and investors.”

KiwiNet’s fifteen partner organisations encompass around 70% of New Zealand’s science capability with over 7000 research staff and a collective research spend of almost $1 billion. A recently released review of Government PreSeed investment into fifteen universities and Crown Research Institutes from 2003 to 2013 showed that 573 the projects reviewed resulted in more than 386 licenses, numerous start-ups, and other commercial deals that have the estimated potential to generate at least 460 jobs and up to $3.0 billion in export revenues for New Zealand. Actual returns to the research organisations alone have already reached $188.2 million, with many more projects still in development.

KiwiNet partner organisations include WaikatoLink, Plant & Food Research, Otago Innovation Ltd, Lincoln University, AUT Enterprises, AgResearch, University of Canterbury, Callaghan Innovation, Viclink, Landcare Research, Cawthron Institute, ESR, NIWA, Scion and GNS Science. Principal support is also provided by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE).