KiwiNet Awards recognize New Zealand research commercialisation leaders

The KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards recently recognized several leaders in New Zealand’s scientific innovation sector. Dr Dominic Moseley, a senior scientist at the Paihau-Robinson Research Institute, received the 2026 NZ Product Accelerator Breakthrough Innovator Award. His research focuses on a flux pump device that supplies electrical current to superconducting magnets, a technology with potential applications in medical imaging, scientific research, fusion energy, and advanced transport.

Dr Gavin Ross was honored with the KiwiNet Commercialisation Icon Award for his long-term contributions to translating publicly funded research into economic and societal benefits. His career includes significant roles in establishing the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre and leading the biotechnology sector through various organizational evolutions. Additionally, the spin-out company Scentian Bio won the PwC Breakthrough Project Award for its AI-powered “insect nose on a chip” technology, which aims to transform food quality control and biosecurity.