New IP policy announced - ecosystem investment now critical

13 November 2025

KiwiNet welcomes the Government’s announcement of a new national Intellectual Property (IP) Management Policy for publicly funded research, recognising it as a positive step towards a more consistent and transparent approach to commercialising New Zealand innovation.

However, KiwiNet cautions that the IP policy alone will not deliver the outcomes New Zealand needs. Achieving its aspirations will depend on sustained investment in the commercialisation system itself — the people, funding, and local delivery mechanisms that turn ideas into impact.

“An IP policy is an important foundation, but it’s not a silver bullet,” says James Hutchinson, CEO of KiwiNet.

“To make this work, we must now invest further in the commercialisation system itself — in the local ‘engines’ within universities and Public Research Organisations that will support researchers to navigate this world and turn research into real-world outcomes.”

Investment in the ecosystem is essential

Currently, less than 1% of government science investment directly supports research commercialisation — far short of what is needed to sustain and grow capability across the system. For comparison, Australia invests more than eight times as much per capita.

“We often describe commercialisation as the bridge between research and impact,” Hutchinson says. “You can’t cross the divide by only building one end of the bridge. The IP policy builds a stronger starting point, but now we need to complete the bridge by investing in the infrastructure and capabilities that get ideas all the way across to market fast.”

Building a high-performing system requires:

• Strong local delivery and sustainable commercialisation engines within and around institutions, including the tech transfer offices and professionals who support and empower researchers’ commercialisation journeys day to day.
• Dedicated seed and proof-of-concept funding to help researchers validate their technologies and de-risk early-stage opportunities.
• Entrepreneurship and commercialisation training to equip researchers with the skills and confidence to lead.

At the same time, KiwiNet emphasises the importance of doubling down on the national, collaborative mechanisms that already work — particularly the PreSeed Accelerator Fund (PSAF) and the Commercialisation Partner Network (CPN), which are internationally recognised for their effectiveness and impact.

Katherine Sandford, KiwiNet Board Chair says, “PSAF and the CPN have become models of world-class practice through shared funding, peer learning, and collaboration across institutions. They’ve consistently delivered exceptional outcomes and attracted global recognition; we should build on that success, not reinvent it.”

Supporting researchers to take the lead

KiwiNet’s Emerging Innovator Programme is one example of how researcher-led commercialisation can succeed when the right support is available. Over the past decade, 187 Emerging Innovators have been supported through the programme, leading to the creation of 24 spin-out companies and over $45 million in investment.

As the new policy gives researchers a stronger role in leading commercialisation, the Emerging Innovator Programme is ready to scale to meet demand — providing mentorship, early-stage funding, and connection to investors and industry partners.

Clarity needed on ownership, disputes, and stewardship

While welcoming the policy’s intent, KiwiNet has identified several areas that will need further clarification as implementation progresses, such as:

• Dispute resolution: The policy is currently silent on how disagreements between inventors, or between researchers and institutions, will be resolved. A clear mediation or arbitration process will be essential to ensure aligned, efficient resolution and prevent stalled projects.
• IP guardianship safeguards: Where PROs transfer legal ownership of IP to researchers or spin-outs, the long-term kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of publicly funded IP needs guard rails for instances where a spin-out folds, or a researcher ceases commercialisation.

A consistent framework and a collaborative sector response

KiwiNet views the policy as an important step towards national consistency and supports the Government’s intent to make commercialisation easier and more rewarding for researchers. The sector now looks forward to working with MBIE on the accompanying implementation guidelines, which will be key to ensuring institutions, researchers, and partners can navigate the new system successfully.

“We’re optimistic about the direction and fully committed to making this work as a sector,” says Mark Cleaver, Chief Executive of Massey Ventures.

“If we pair this new policy with sustained investment in people, capability, and collaboration, we can truly unlock the potential of New Zealand’s publicly funded research for the benefit of Aotearoa.”