New Scholarships Target Technology Entrepreneurs

Massey University is funding three new scholarships, with the support of The Bio Commerce Centre, to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of science and technology students in Manawatu.

The Bio Commerce Centre/Massey University $15,000 Commercialisation Scholarship will be awarded to a one-year, full-time postgraduate research project at Massey’s Palmerston North campus in 2007 that could have commercial application.

The purpose of the scholarship is to promote commercialisation of technology and encourage entrepreneurial activity among Massey postgraduate students.

The scholarship will be funded by Massey, with The Bio Commerce Centre providing commercial guidance and the opportunity to move into the centre’s business incubator.

Postgraduate students are asked to submit their ideas by the application deadline of January 31, 2007. Application forms are available from contact@massey.ac.nz or 0800 627 739.

Two Summer Scholarships have also been established to build relationships between Massey, The Bio Commerce Centre and local industry. Massey will fund two $5,000 scholarships a year for three years, aimed at undergraduate or postgraduate students doing a project in their summer break to get practical work experience.

Summer Scholarship recipients for 2007 are Kristin Sze Mei Tham and Yin Zhang.

Kristin, a third-year Massey Bachelor of Engineering (Biotechnology) student, is working with The Bio Commerce Centre resident company Slipstream Automation to finalise development of a robotic plant-DNA extraction kit to speed up DNA analysis in laboratories.

Kristin says “The scholarship is really, really good for me. It will pay my student fees for this year. And The Bio Commerce Centre has taught me that science and commercialisation can’t stand apart.”

Slipstream Automation CEO Mike Cook says “One of the issues I face is finding people with an adequate background in molecular biology and a head on their shoulders about automation. Having Kristin is incredibly useful for us. At the end of next year I hope to have a position to offer her.”

Yin has just completed a Bachelor of Technology with Honours (Food Technology), and is about to enrol on a Masters of Technology degree at Massey. She will work with contract beverage-manufacturing company Xenos, another Bio Commerce Centre resident company, on bottle-sterilising technology.

Xenos CEO Mike Rockell says “Yin presents long-term potential within our business, not just in technical areas, but also to help with commercial development, both within New Zealand and overseas.”

Massey University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Palmerston North) Professor Ian Warrington says “It’s critical to have students aware of the interface between research and commercialisation of emerging discoveries. We’re in a global economy and our students have to be ready to work in any environment in the world. The Bio Commerce Centre has been a very good initiative in focusing on that interface and has been critical in providing integration between the various research and tertiary institutions in the region.”

Picture caption: Slipstream Automation CEO Mike Cook (right) and Massey University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Palmerston North) Professor Ian Warrington (left) in the lab with Kristin Sze Mei Tham, who has won a scholarship to undertake a summer project with the company.

ENDS

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