Tuesday, 28 May 2013 09:19

Agribusiness innovation under spotlight

Written by Pamela Tipa

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Top players in agribusiness will get together the night before the Fieldays to discuss building export earnings from agribusiness innovation.

The University Commercialisation offices of New Zealand (UCONZ) symposium event is hosted by the University of Waikato and keynote speakers include the Minister for Economic Development Steven Joyce, Director General of the Ministry for Primary Industries Wayne McNee and Sarah Kennedy who is managing director of Fonterra Nutrition.

Chaired by Waikato University's Professor of Agribusiness Jacqueline Rowarth, the panel will include Dr John Sharpe, CEO of CytonomeST, a high-tech Boston-based company that develops laser-based biomedical instrumentation, Dr Bert Quin, director of international fertiliser consultancy Quin Environmentals (NZ) Ltd, Geoff Furniss, chief executive of advanced fruit processing technology company, BBC Technologies Ltd and Stuart Gordon, chief executive of Waikato Innovation Park Ltd and former chief executive of Livestock Improvement Corporation.

On a lighter note, judging will take place for the finals of an inaugural Waikato Milk Cocktail competition.

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