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Biotechnology
Introduction | Biotechnology in Auckland
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Biotechnology in Auckland
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Dr Andrew Kelly and the team awarded
Deal of the Year at the NZBIO conference 2008. |
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Auckland is strong in the human health sector with commercial success and a
strong industry body, NZBio/Auckland.
Auckland City Council is a committed supporter of NZBIO/Auckland and a
promoter of businesses and research bodies that work to make life better for
everyone. Auckland City Council supports the annual NZBIO conference held in
Auckland. The 2008 conference attracted 600 attendees from all over the country
and international delegations from Australia, Canada and the UK.
Biotechnology researchers in Auckland are working on treatments for type 1
diabetes, cancer, wound healing, heart disease and infertility.
Auckland city is proud to be the hub of the biotechnology sector in New
Zealand. 42% of core biotechnology companies are located in Auckland. In 2005
the Auckland region employed 410 people in core biotechnology companies with
revenue of $280 million. Human health research is less labour intensive than
agricultural biotechnology research. *
Auckland supports an innovative research community known for its excellence
in biotechnology, health and medicine. It includes all the Crown Research
Institutes, AUT University and The University of Auckland.
The University of Auckland ranked in the world top 50 universities overall
and in the top 30 in biomedicine. It is one of five universities in the world
selected by Procter & Gamble for a pilot programme to identify joint commercial
research opportunities.
The Institute for Innovation in
Biotechnology offers a purpose built biotech facility to bring great
research and industry innovation together in a cost effective manner. Biotech
companies can lease access to specialist top-end resources in a commercially
orientated environment.
Uniservices, the commercial arm of the
university, is the largest university- owned research and technology company in
Australasia. More than half of their business is biotechnology. They have been
very successful in creating spin out companies from commercialised research done
at the university eg, Proacta Inc, Protemix Corp, Neuren Pharmaceuticals and
Coda Therapeutics.
Recently, Uniservices became a partner in the Trans Tasman Commercialisation
Fund with four Australian universities and an Australian pension fund. The fund
gives the university access to Australian investment money for research projects
whilst retaining the intellectual property in New Zealand.
Auckland is also home to established industries that use, modify, and further
develop biotechnology applications e.g. Fisher& Paykel Healthcare, Fonterra and
Invitrogen.
Many support services to the sector, such as IP, legal and accounting firms,
are located in Auckland.
Some of the venture capital companies based in Auckland investing in
biotechnology companies are Endeavour Capital, Bio Pacific Ventures, and Pacific
Channel Ltd.
We acknowledge the economic, innovative and dynamic contribution that
scientists and their research make to Auckland and New Zealand. We salute the
innovation, entrepreneurship and vision of biotechnology business leaders whose
hard work capitalises upon new technology.
The sector has all the ingredients for growth and success and a significant
role to play in Auckland's economy.
*Statistics sourced from New Zealand Biotechnology Industry Growth Report
2006 by LEK Consulting.
Updated October 2008
