One of the most anticipated agribusiness events of the year, NZ National Agricultural Fieldays® is drawing closer, and we have some great news, Locus Research will be back as a sponsor for the Fieldays Innovation Centre and will be bringing The Lab back for 2015.

The team has already been busy with the team at Fieldays planning some great new additions this year, and even some exciting plans for 2016. Fieldays CEO Jon Calder says "over 40% of all exhibitors launch new product at Fieldays each year. We are looking to support innovations at Fieldays from an early stage idea through to a successful business". 

Locus Research will also again be supporting the Fieldays Innovation Awards at Fieldays through the Locus Research Innovation Award, The Lab, and our involvement in the Awards judging.

The 2015 Fieldays Innovation Awards

Fieldays Innovation Awards are now open and all exhibitors, especially those with new ideas, should seriously consider this as a platform for launching their new ideas to the world. There are three categories that neatly cover a wide range of entrants from those starting out, to those that are already out there internationally. Applications close in early May so be sure to get your entries into Fieldays early.

Categories

1. Grassroots Innovation Award – Concepts, Ideas and prototypes. This category is focused on unreleased start-up ideas that have yet to be fully taken to market. This suits early stage individuals and companies;
2. Launch NZ Innovation Award – Innovative products being launched into the New Zealand market. This is directed at companies that SME's that have launched (or are launching) a product onto the market;
3. International Innovation Award – Innovative products being launched globally. Previously the domain of the Big Boy's this award is increasingly open to new companies driving disruptive innovation in the agricultural sector.

Other Awards

• Fieldays Young Inventor of the Year Award (25 years and under)
• Vodafone Innovation in Technology Award of the Year
• Locus Research Innovation Award  - See below for further detail
• James & Wells Intellectual Property Service Award

More detail on the awards categories can be found here.

Application closing date:
01/05/15

Want to know more:
To see the full criteria and to enter your idea, click here.

The Lab

Fieldays Innovation Lab 'The Lab' is back this year brighter and better. Last year it was a hive of activity, we tracked it from concept to completion on Tumblr last year. It provided a central place in the Fieldays Innovation Centre providing information on Innovation, sessions for the Innovation entrants, a home for the judges and then got converted into a bar on the Friday night.

We worked with 16 individual companies in 2014 across a wide range of topics from IP and Licensing, sales, marketing and distribution through to technical and developmental issues.

The location and details will change, but the same drive for greater innovation in the agricultural sector remain the same. The Lab will again be operating across the event to provide assistance and expert advice for Innovation entrants and will be the central point for the awards breakfast on the Thursday morning.

The Locus Research Innovation Award

Our award is focused, along with the James and Wells (JAWS) IP Award at a recipient company, group or individual which can benefit the most from our help. The award last year was given to the 'Electric Farm Bike' developed by Neal Clyde Design (Anthony Clyde and Daryl Neal). Our team have worked with Daryl and Anthony over the last year on their journey to production and are looking forward to the launch of the product at Fieldays 2015 – it is looking sensational.

The award provides four days and a cross functional team to work on any aspect of an innovation from the brand and graphics, through to engineering, design and commercial aspects.

2014 Winner, Anthony Clyde from Neal Clyde Design notes 'the team was fantastic, and complemented our skills helping us to resolve out how we are going to market the bike, and developed a compelling new brand that will drive the product forward. The award has really delivered for us'.

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