Wellington
Small businesses with high value manufacturing research requirements have found out the sixnationwide institutions that will redeem ‘technology transfer vouchers’.
The about to be introduced government scheme, administered by
Wayne Mapp, minister for what willbe the Ministry of Science & Innovation in February, announced that in looking for an initialspectrum of providers, concentrating initially on high value manufacturing, the Ministry’s wantedto also provide a regional spread and type.
The six research organisations accredited as tech transfer voucher institutions are theUniversity of Auckland, Industrial Research Ltd, The University of Canterbury, Auckland Universityof Technology, The University of Otago and the only polytechnic, the Wellington Institute ofTechnology.
The scheme has an initial $20 million allocated over four years to spend on the vouchers, whereco-funding investments of between $100,000 - $1m are expected, though averaging around $200,000.Mapp expects to be asking his cabinet colleagues for a greater allocation within the first yeargiven the substantial interest already shown in the voucher concept.
Part of the new Ministry’s brief will be to evaluate the tech transfer voucher scheme, and thelearning from that will inform the accreditation of a larger number of research organisations acrossmore sectors Mapp said, in announcing the first up research institute recipients at
Following 18 months of science-oriented reforms, in which a greater emphasis has been put onturning good ideas into globally scaleable products and services, Mapp said “we’ve created athreshold of expectations.”
“People are expecting government to do more in the science and innovation area, and see 2010 asa platform for the future,” he said. “We’ve raised interest, and are quite conscious that hasbeen achieved.”
The web-based application for tech transfer vouchers starts on Nov. 1. Mapp said he expectsrequests for its available funding to be oversupplied.