Dedication and hard work paid off for South Island farmers who this year broke the Guinness World Record for the largest barley crop harvest. Warren and Joy Darling, from Timaru New Zealand, achieved a harvest of 13.8 metric tonnes of barley from just one hectare of land – comfortably passing the previous record of 12.2 metric tonnes.
The below article was published recently in the New Zealand Herald, New Zealand’s largest circulated newspaper. In it, Andrew Kelly shares his views on multinational engagement in this region as part of a special edition on Capital Markets.
Good at ideas, not so good at going global
Like them or hate them, multi-national companies are a fact of life. They now deliver the vast majority of the goods we consume, at the lowest prices ever seen, and with consistent and ever-improving quality.
Think about cars, phones, planes and TV screens – the trappings of modern life. They have all become more available, better quality and relatively cheaper every year.
But there’s one tiny place where multi-nationals are not having an impact in New Zealand, and that is innovation.
Xero has beaten some serious global contenders to again top Forbes’ list of the 100 Most Innovative Growth Companies.
Xero was founded in New Zealand in 2006 with a Software as a Service business model. Their cloud-based accounting software is targeted to small businesses who want to improve their productivity, monitor performance, and plan ahead.
Performance in the Forbes list is related to investors, in that a company’s ranking reflects the difference between its market capitalization and the net present value of its cash flows. Overall, it acknowledges companies that investors expect to be innovative today and into the future.
Last week, BioPacific’s Andrew Kelly and Sujit Kalidas attended Life Sciences Queensland’s Futures Showcase at the Brisbane Technology Park. This event considered challenges and opportunities within the changing industry, as well as what life sciences might look like in the future.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) recently announced funding of three collaborative research projects with Japan, which will focus on functional foods. The announcement highlights New Zealand’s rapidly growing innovation strength and competitive advantage in developing novel whole foods enriched in bioactives, or extracting bioactive ingredients from its unique plant and marine species.
Interested in science and health, but can’t quite picture how it works sometimes? Australian biomedical animators are bringing you a lot closer to the action.
VizbiPlus is a joint project between CSIRO, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Animators on the project are currently creating accurate scientific videos to educate the public about novel biomedical research and concepts.
A highly regarded team is always a key asset, so BioPacific Partners is particularly proud of ours. One of our Venture Partners, Peter Andrews, was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Australia’s University of the Sunshine Coast (USC).
The below article was published by USC to highlight Peter’s achievement.
The continuum of funding spanning from friends to IPOs has a new component in New Zealand: equity crowdfunding.
Equity crowdfunding allows the public to buy shares in an unlisted company that may be looking to fund growth or a new project. This option provides an alternate funding source for companies that are looking for finance outside of angel or venture investors. Equity crowdfunding campaigns can have a wide range of benefits, including lowering the barriers to investment, simplifying the funding process, gaining passionate early adopters, and widening the reach of a company’s campaign.
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is often the secret ingredient behind the things that have improved your life. They are a highly respected organisation and we engage with them regularly on up-and-coming research in Australia. Below are 27 things you may not know about this innovative Aussie agency:
Creating novel biomaterials from sustainable sources is an important innovation strength in New Zealand’s bioeconomy. At just over five years old, a small Auckland-based company operates truly at the global nanotechnology cutting edge.