NEWSROOM
How the University of Auckland is driving Cleantech innovation
Universities are critical to advancing low-carbon innovations, through research and bringing innovative solutions to life through fostering cleantech start-ups. Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, is a key contributor to New Zealand’s cleantech ecosystem.
Global interest in cleantech is growing, driven by concerns ranging from environmental sustainability to geopolitics. Cleantech innovation thrives in New Zealand, where people are inherently connected to nature, both culturally and geographically. The country has long been a pioneer in renewable energy, with notable achievements in geothermal and hydropower generation and world-firsts in long-distance DC grid transmission. Around 88% of New Zealand’s electricity comes from renewable sources. Cleantech extends beyond energy to include green chemistry, sustainable transport, recycling, circular economy initiatives, water conservation, and information technology.
Providing the world with cleantech solutions could become a high-value export earner for New Zealand. Earlier this year, the NZ Cleantech Report was launched in Parliament, identifying the emergence of New Zealand start-ups that have significant potential global reach. The report shows that the NZ Cleantech companies surveyed have raised over $535 million in private capital and generated a total of $291 million in revenue over the past two years. Among the list were start-ups that benefitted from a connection to the University of Auckland through access to talent, industry partnerships or direct support in creating a cleantech start-up.
The University of Auckland has a robust innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and below are some of the key actors supporting a low-carbon economy:
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) provides free co-curricular experiential learning opportunities for students and staff across the university and often uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) as a teaching framework. CIE offers start-up planning competitions, entrepreneurship development programmes and more. Cleantech innovators that have come through CIE have gone on to create start-ups tackling everything from sustainable space exploration to carbon dioxide capture systems for agriculture to diverting construction and demolition waste from landfills.
New Zealand Product Accelerator
This publicly funded research network has facilitated and accelerated the integration of cutting-edge research with real-world manufacturing needs, including low carbon innovation. The New Zealand Product Accelerator (NZPA) is hosted by the University of Auckland, with one of its Hubs at the University’s Newmarket Innovation Precinct. NZPA brings together more than 100 researchers and practitioners from 9 research organisations across New Zealand and several government organisations.
Projects include working with Fisher & Paykel Appliances through their Carbon Net Zero Smart Home Institute. This project portfolio involves fundamental research to achieve substantial reduction in Scope 3 emissions from appliances through design and materials breakthroughs.
Start-up business Casil Technologies is a key part of the NZPA effort to enhance energy recovery from geothermal resources and clean water protection, and separately, NZPA is also collaborating with Geo40 Limited for sustainable mineral recovery and with Sanford to research the application of green solvents and energy efficiency for aquaculture.
Co-Director Associate Professor Mark Jones is particularly excited about the potential for bio-products from forests. “The forestry and wood processing industry currently contributes $6.7 billion in exports to the New Zealand economy and is our fourth largest export industry. Looking beyond wood, though, it’s capable of so much more. As the world looks for alternatives to petrochemicals, many other sustainable products could be produced from forests, replacing fossil fuel derived products. Market estimates by collaborating companies so far scopes the total commercial opportunity for New Zealand to be $18 to $25 billion.”
UniServices
UniServices is the University’s research and knowledge transfer company, helping students and researchers realise the potential of their ideas, whether as start-ups or licensed technologies. They manage the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund, a contestable evergreen $40m seed/pre-seed fund, as well as two investment committees, Momentum – a national student-led investment committee programme, and national research commercialisation programme Return on Science.
Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) is a core value of UniServices, and entrepreneurship as a tool for environmental stewardship is a key focus. More than 20% of the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund portfolio is sustainability or cleantech focused. UniServices-backed sustainability-oriented companies include Gaiatech – Effective and selective capture of waste anesthetic gases which is a greenhouse contributor, Nurox – transforming waste into platform chemicals using heat, water and air, EnPot which is reducing the carbon footprint of aluminum; and Cirrus Materials Science which creates stronger coating materials with less environmental impact.
UniServices and the wider University are also part of New Zealand’s CleanTech Mission, advocating internationally for Cleantech partnerships.
CIE Director Darsel Keane says “The University of Auckland has an important role to play in solution creation, through education, research, community engagement and developing tangible applications for the new knowledge developed here. Entrepreneurship is an important way the University contributes to the world’s efforts to tackle sustainability and we are striving to support more cleantech solutions to be developed in the near future.”
Further reading:
New Zealand Cleantech Report 2024
Professor Saeid Baroutian, Co-founder of Gaiatech and Nurox
Professor Saeid Baroutian, Co-founder of Gaiatech and Nurox
Universities are critical to advancing low-carbon innovations, through research and bringing innovative solutions to life through fostering cleantech start-ups. Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, is a key contributor to New Zealand’s cleantech ecosystem.
Global interest in cleantech is growing, driven by concerns ranging from environmental sustainability to geopolitics. Cleantech innovation thrives in New Zealand, where people are inherently connected to nature, both culturally and geographically. The country has long been a pioneer in renewable energy, with notable achievements in geothermal and hydropower generation and world-firsts in long-distance DC grid transmission. Around 88% of New Zealand’s electricity comes from renewable sources. Cleantech extends beyond energy to include green chemistry, sustainable transport, recycling, circular economy initiatives, water conservation, and information technology.
Providing the world with cleantech solutions could become a high-value export earner for New Zealand. Earlier this year, the NZ Cleantech Report was launched in Parliament, identifying the emergence of New Zealand start-ups that have significant potential global reach. The report shows that the NZ Cleantech companies surveyed have raised over $535 million in private capital and generated a total of $291 million in revenue over the past two years. Among the list were start-ups that benefitted from a connection to the University of Auckland through access to talent, industry partnerships or direct support in creating a cleantech start-up.
The University of Auckland has a robust innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and below are some of the key actors supporting a low-carbon economy:
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) provides free co-curricular experiential learning opportunities for students and staff across the university and often uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) as a teaching framework. CIE offers start-up planning competitions, entrepreneurship development programmes and more. Cleantech innovators that have come through CIE have gone on to create start-ups tackling everything from sustainable space exploration to carbon dioxide capture systems for agriculture to diverting construction and demolition waste from landfills.
New Zealand Product Accelerator
This publicly funded research network has facilitated and accelerated the integration of cutting-edge research with real-world manufacturing needs, including low carbon innovation. The New Zealand Product Accelerator (NZPA) is hosted by the University of Auckland, with one of its Hubs at the University’s Newmarket Innovation Precinct. NZPA brings together more than 100 researchers and practitioners from 9 research organisations across New Zealand and several government organisations.
Projects include working with Fisher & Paykel Appliances through their Carbon Net Zero Smart Home Institute. This project portfolio involves fundamental research to achieve substantial reduction in Scope 3 emissions from appliances through design and materials breakthroughs.
Start-up business Casil Technologies is a key part of the NZPA effort to enhance energy recovery from geothermal resources and clean water protection, and separately, NZPA is also collaborating with Geo40 Limited for sustainable mineral recovery and with Sanford to research the application of green solvents and energy efficiency for aquaculture.
Co-Director Associate Professor Mark Jones is particularly excited about the potential for bio-products from forests. “The forestry and wood processing industry currently contributes $6.7 billion in exports to the New Zealand economy and is our fourth largest export industry. Looking beyond wood, though, it’s capable of so much more. As the world looks for alternatives to petrochemicals, many other sustainable products could be produced from forests, replacing fossil fuel derived products. Market estimates by collaborating companies so far scopes the total commercial opportunity for New Zealand to be $18 to $25 billion.”
UniServices
UniServices is the University’s research and knowledge transfer company, helping students and researchers realise the potential of their ideas, whether as start-ups or licensed technologies. They manage the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund, a contestable evergreen $40m seed/pre-seed fund, as well as two investment committees, Momentum – a national student-led investment committee programme, and national research commercialisation programme Return on Science.
Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) is a core value of UniServices, and entrepreneurship as a tool for environmental stewardship is a key focus. More than 20% of the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund portfolio is sustainability or cleantech focused. UniServices-backed sustainability-oriented companies include Gaiatech – Effective and selective capture of waste anesthetic gases which is a greenhouse contributor, Nurox – transforming waste into platform chemicals using heat, water and air, EnPot which is reducing the carbon footprint of aluminum; and Cirrus Materials Science which creates stronger coating materials with less environmental impact.
UniServices and the wider University are also part of New Zealand’s CleanTech Mission, advocating internationally for Cleantech partnerships.
CIE Director Darsel Keane says “The University of Auckland has an important role to play in solution creation, through education, research, community engagement and developing tangible applications for the new knowledge developed here. Entrepreneurship is an important way the University contributes to the world’s efforts to tackle sustainability and we are striving to support more cleantech solutions to be developed in the near future.”
Further reading:
New Zealand Cleantech Report 2024
EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND
