Rocket Lab wins big at NZ Innovation Awards in Auckland

Rocket Lab won big at the NZ Innovation Awards tonight, taking out two categories.

The company was named the Bayer Supreme New Zealand Innovation for 2017, as well as winning the award for innovation in design and engineering.

NZ Innovation Council interim chief executive Craig Cotton said the award was testament to the success and continued growth of Rocket Lab.

"Rocket Lab plans regular small satellite launches from Mahia Peninsula near Gisborne, opening access to space for many companies around the world," Cotton said.

"The Electron launch vehicle utilises 3D printing and ground-breaking technology to deliver satellites into orbit with high frequency," he said.

"Rocket Lab can disrupt this small satellite market that can offers crop monitoring, natural disaster prediction, improved weather and maritime reporting, and search and rescue services from space."

The awards were held in Auckland tonight with an audience of more than 700 people. The 22 winners and 14 highly-commended awards were across 12 industry categories and eight business disciplines.

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"Each year we convene these awards to help recognise and celebrate the amazing stories of innovation, impact, and success from all over Aotearoa. We also aim for the awards to help join the dots within the innovation ecosystem to stimulate further connection, collaboration and creation of opportunities for our entrants, finalists and winners," Cotton said.

Other winners included Fire and Emergency NZ for their Escape my House interactive tool and Burnsafe NZ who developed devices which safely neutralise unexploded landmines and ordinance without the use of explosives.