United States-New Zealand Collaboration in Technology Development
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Transcript of United States-New Zealand Collaboration in Technology Development
United States-New Zealand Collaboration in Technology Development
Dr Brian YoungScience & Technology Counsellor
New Zealand Embassy
Federal Laboratory ConsortiumMid Atlantic Region
2007 Annual Conference
What does New Zealand have to offer?▰ Ease of doing business (2nd on the World Bank Ease of
Doing Business index)
▰ Low corruption (1st equal with Finland and Denmark on Transparency International’s 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index)
▰ High quality innovation, – broad range of unique, niche technologies
▰ Flexible manufacturing, small production runs, opportunities for customization
▰ Ideal test-bed for new technologies▰ Primary sector strengths: world class
resources and expertise
What does New Zealand have to offer (cont.)?▰ Clean, green image▰ Immaculate animal health status▰ Cross-seasonality advantages▰ Increasing availability of private capital▰ Small market size facilitates networking
and NZ Inc approach▰ Distance not a barrier to ICT and other
high value-added exports
Where is NZ?
You arehere
NZ is here
Unique Challenges▰ Remoteness▰ Size▰ Small companies▰ Limited access to capital▰ Limited business expenditure on R&D
Not-So-Unique Challenges▰ Gulf between R&D and commercialization
processes within organizations▰ Weak linkages between research organizations
and businesses.▰ Firms’ lack of understanding of research
organizations’ capabilities and IP ▰ Many firms don’t know their SWOT ▰ Weaknesses in understanding, defining and
capturing the true value of IP. ▰ Poor public understanding of wealth creating
power of S&T
Not-So-Unique Challenges (cont.)▰ Weak sales and marketing skills ▰ Limited visionary leadership▰ Inadequate governance structures ▰ Poor strategic planning skills▰ Weak project management skills▰ Inadequate design skills▰ Innovators and investors speak different
languages▰ Life style businesses limit growth
opportunities▰ Lack of large-scale infrastructure
▰ Australian Synchrotron– Commissioned 2007– New Zealand investment in construction
and maintenance – Guaranteed access
Infrastructure Development
▰ REANNZ (Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd)
– Partnerships with National Lambda Rail and Internet2
Entrepreneurship Development▰ NZ Foundation for Research, Science &
Technology and MIT– Workshops for NZ CEOs at MIT– MIT MBA students placed in NZ co.s
▰ UCLA Global Access Program – Matches companies and organizations around the
world with a team of five FEMBA students– NZ is a participating country– Develop an in-depth strategic business plan
▰ Global Technology Partnership program– Partnership with the Danish Technology Institute– Expert advice on technology issues– International network of 20,000 experts
Systems Integrators▰ Package products and technologies
from different sources into whole solutions for government end-users
▰ Provide NZ technology organizations with:– Market knowledge– Regulatory understanding– Scale– Capital
Partnerships with US VCs▰ NZ is a long way from the US, and…▰ Not a lot of foreign companies get
funded▰ Need US presence
– Preferably with US staff
▰ Corporate headquarters in the US▰ Research facilities in New Zealand
VC Partnership Examples▰ Proacta
– Headquartered in San Diego– Anti-cancer compounds– $35M in series B financing
▰ Protemix– Headquartered in San Diego– Compounds for treatment of metabolic disorders– $14.5M in series A financing
▰ CoDa Therapeutics– Headquartered in San Diego– Wound healing and tissue repair– $10M in series A financing
Development PartnershipsNeuren Pharmaceuticals▰ Three lead compounds: Glypromate, NNZ-2566,
NNZ-2591▰ Partnerships include:
– US Army (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research)– Pfizer– Metabolic Pharmaceuticals – University of Texas Medical Centre– Duke University
AgResearch/Scion▰ Partnered with Diversa to investigate feasibility
of a transportation biofuel industry in NZ that uses wood- and grass-derived feedstocks
Development Partnerships (cont)Industrial Research Ltd ▰ BCX-4208 for treatment of psoriasis
– Developed in partnership with Albert Einstein College of Medicine
– Outlicensed to US company BioCryst– BioCryst partnered with Roche – Phase II clinical trials
▰ HTS-110– High temperature superconductor mfg spin-out– 20% owned by American Superconductor who
provided:• CryoSaver(R) current leads business to HTS-110• non-exclusive licenses to certain coil patents
Beachheads Program▰ Coordinated by New Zealand Trade and
Enterprise (national economic development agency)
▰ Designed to accelerate the offshore growth of New Zealand companies
▰ Provides knowledge, contacts and services of specialist off-shore advisory boards
▰ Provides introductions to potential business partners, customers, key influencers and experts
▰ Primarily focused on high-tech companies
Government Partnerships▰ Science and Technology Cooperation
Agreement– First signed in 1974– For the purposes of enhancing:
• scientific and technological collaborations• exchange of scientific and technological information• sharing of facilities• exchange of scientific and technical personnel
▰ Memorandum of Cooperation between the State of Iowa and the New Zealand Government
– “to pursue and promote cooperative academic and commercial research and development efforts that may result in mutual benefit”
Summary▰ NZ has technology strengths, but…▰ Geographically- and
demographically-induced weaknesses▰ International partnerships essential
to make good on opportunities▰ Wide variety of partnership models in
use at all stages of the R&D process▰ US is predominant international
partner for technology development
Contact information:Brian YoungNew Zealand Embassy37 Observatory Circle, NWWashington, DC 20008(202) [email protected]