Over the last few years Locus Research has become an integral part of Fieldays Innovations, to give both participants to the Innovation Centre and visitors to Fieldays the opportunity to discuss and develop their ground-breaking ideas. We've found it increasingly important to foster innovation in the agritech sector and have had some excellent outcomes from our participation. To facilitate this, we've developed two major feature spaces as an extension of the Innovation Centre, open to all who would like to learn about and discuss innovation.

The Lab is a hub for supporting, mentoring and debriefing Innovations Awards entrants, separate from the general buzz of the Innovations Centre. Here, entrants can get tips in preparation for their Innovation Den pitch, or get advice on different aspects of their project, including design and market entry.

Held within the Innovations Centre, The Lab is fitted with whiteboards, seating and even a coffee machine - the perfect place for entrants to access a free Innovation knowledge bank. We also encourage visitors to the Innovation Centre to come along to The Lab, stop by for a chat and a coffee and discuss their ideas with the Locus team.

How we can help

Our team can tackle your problems with design, marketing, engineering, customer research, sales and IP. In 2015 alone we held 16 sessions with different companies from the rural innovators to the big guys. We pulled together experts to work on problems and challenges as required by Innovation Awards entrants and Innovation Centre visitors. This work will continue on in 2016.

As a company, we have spent the past 13 years on a product development and innovation journey that has covered everything from sleep systems to haircare to agritech. Our cross functional design team uses research to deliver insights, develop products, and improve the outcomes of innovation in business. Whether you've been tinkering with your project in the garage or developing ideas within a large company, if you have come across a stumbling block in your innovation journey, The Lab is the perfect place for you to stop in. 

Find out more about The Lab from our Case Study and the Fieldays Tumblr feed.

Innovation Accelerator

The Innovation Accelerator showcases Innovations hall of famers. It is an opportunity for those companies that have been through the Innovation Centre to showcase their award winning products and, in some cases, launch their product to market. If you are thinking about entering your innovation into the 2016 Awards, scoping out the past winners at the Innovation Accelerator area is the perfect place to begin.

Not only does the Innovation Accelerator exhibit the best of the best, but it serves as a media friendly hub, enabling media crews to cover and report on the innovations unveiled at Fieldays. The constant media coverage creates invaluable exposure for these early stage businesses and generates great foot traffic through the area.

"We had news crews interview us multiple times [in the Accelerator]. People enjoyed seeing the bike on television and came along specifically to check it out." - Anthony Clyde, Ubco Ltd

To get in with the opportunity to display your Innovation in the Accelerator, submit your entry into the 2016 Innovation Awards, from December 1st 2015. 

Find out more about the Innovation Accelerator, established in 2015, from our Case Study or on the Fieldays Tumblr feed.

Fieldays Innovations Awards

The Innovation Centre continues to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity, and 2016 will be no different. It is the showcase for the best industry developments and inventions; improving farming practices in New Zealand and beyond.

The competition puts inventions from New Zealand on show to the world and helps establish their success in the marketplace by educating entrants on how to take the next step to achieving commercial success. With a range of categories in which to enter, and a competition structure that supports Kiwi ingenuity at all levels, Fieldays Innovation Centre is the perfect place to launch your new innovations.

The Fieldays Innovation Centre Categories and Awards are as follows

• Prototype (formerly Grassroots)
• Launch NZ
• International
• Fieldays Young Inventor of the Year
• Locus Research Innovation Award

To learn more about these categories and to enter your idea, click here.

Let us help you

The aim of these areas are to help local innovators accelerate the agri innovation path, from grassroots to viable businesses. Check out these Innovation success stories from 2015, as well as projects we've picked up via Fieldays, including Ubco Bikes and Kelvin the Thermokennel. We're proud to be a part of this growth and excited to see what next year's Fieldays brings.

If you'd like more information about how you can develop and grow your innovation, please contact Timothy Allan or Daniel Faris.