KiwiNet Awards Categories

Norman Barry Foundation
Breakthrough Innovator Award

This award recognises an upcoming entrepreneurial researcher who is making outstanding contributions to research commercialisation in New Zealand through technology licencing, start-up creation or commercial partnerships leading to the creation of new products and/or services from publicly-funded research.

Evaluation Criteria

• The entrant is an early career researcher whose priorities clearly include focus on innovation which delivers commercial outcomes.
• There is demonstration of technology application with strong commercial potential, rather than purely scientific or technological achievement.
• There is active engagement with business and/or private investment to see research applied and taken to market.
• The researcher is a champion of commercialisation within their organisation, inspiring others with their enthusiasm for creating commercial impact from science.

Entry is open to New Zealand based researchers of any age, in the early stages of their science career e.g. Up to 10 years after completing their PhD or entering the science arena professionally. The researcher must have collaborated effectively (with their tech transfer / commercialisation office and / or industry) to commercialise research to deliver significant innovation in the three years prior to June 2021. The researcher’s work does not have to have received PreSeed funding.

AJ Park
Researcher Entrepreneur Award

This award recognises an entrepreneurial researcher who has made outstanding contributions to research commercialisation in New Zealand through technology licencing, start-up creation or commercial partnerships leading to the creation of new products and/or services from publicly-funded research.

Evaluation Criteria

• The researcher’s priorities clearly include focus on innovation which delivers commercial outcomes.
• There is demonstration of technology application with strong commercial potential, rather than purely scientific or technological achievement.
• There is active engagement with business and/or private investment to see research applied and taken to market.
• The researcher is a champion of commercialisation within their organisation, inspiring others with their enthusiasm for creating commercial impact from science.

Entry is open to New Zealand based scientists and researchers who work to commercialise research produced by public research organisations.  The researcher must have collaborated effectively (with their tech transfer / commercialisation office and / or industry) to commercialise research. The researcher’s work does not have to have received PreSeed Accelerator funding.

MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Commercialisation Professional Award

This award recognises a commercialisation professional working within a New Zealand research organisation who has made a significant contribution to the commercialisation of publicly funded research

Evaluation Criteria

• The commercialisation professional has successfully transformed IP from a public research organisation into a new service or product.
• They are instrumental in the growth in commercialisation capability within their research organisation such as the development of student entrepreneurship and strong business networks.
• Demonstration of best practice research commercialisation is shown in: a high level of business acumen, strategic thinking and results, stakeholder and industry engagement, IP management, deal negotiation (e.g. technology licensing, start-up creation), communication and influence, perseverance despite setbacks, and a focus on delivering maximum benefit for New Zealand.
• As a champion of commercialisation within their organisation, they inspire a culture of innovation through their enthusiasm for creating commercial impact from science.
• Their efforts generate (or have clear potential to generate) significant economic impact for New Zealand, with focus on direct or indirect impact on export earnings and New Zealand jobs created.

Entry is open to individuals who work to commercialise research produced by New Zealand’s public research organisations. The research upon which the entry is based does not have to have received PreSeed Accelerator funding.

PwC
Commercial Impact Award

This award celebrates excellence in research commercialisation delivering outstanding innovation performance and the potential for generating significant economic impact for New Zealand.

Evaluation Criteria

• The potential to generate commercial benefit for New Zealand, e.g. through licencing, sales revenue, royalties, with focus on direct or indirect impact on export earnings and New Zealand jobs created.
• A resulting increase in research commercialisation capability and business networks of public research organisations in New Zealand.
• Business partnerships which focus research priorities on market needs and an acceleration of commercialisation of new discoveries.
• Demonstration of pursuit of excellence in research commercialisation practices such as: deal negotiation, building strong business partnerships, continuous re-evaluation of strategy as the project progresses, perseverance despite setbacks, preserving maximum benefit for New Zealand.

Entry for this award is open to research organisations working with the private sector to commercialise research produced by New Zealand’s publicly funded research organisations in the three years prior to June 2021. The research upon which the partnership centers does not have to have received PreSeed Accelerator funding.

BNZ Supreme Award
– chosen from the 4 main category winners

This award celebrates the supreme entry which demonstrates overall excellence in all core areas of research commercialisation as voted by the Awards Judges and the audience. This award recognises research commercialisation excellence that demonstrates the impact that can be achieved through commercialised Kiwi science - the spirit of the KiwiNet Awards!