Celebrating 55 years of ingenuity

The Fieldays ‘Innovation Awards’ drew good entries again this year and the winners (pictured) provided valuable ideas and ‘innovations’ for the primary sector. Picture supplied

In addition to commemorating its 55th anniversary, Fieldays also proudly celebrated 55 years of highlighting and supporting innovation in the primary sector.

The Fieldays Innovation Award winners exemplified the full innovation lifecycle, encompassing three award categories: Prototype, Early-Stage, and Growth and Scale.

The awards also paid tribute to the younger generation of innovators, culminating in the presentation of the prestigious Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year Award.

Peter Nation CEO of New Zealand National Fieldays Society, said once again the awards acknowledged the standard of entrants and their willingness to give it a go.

The 2023 Young Innovator of the Year Award winner was St Paul’s Collegiate School with their Capra Skin Goats Milk lip balm.

The judges commented how the group had identified a need, formulating steps and iteration to come up with a final product to make a real difference to its target market of youth, combining primary products and the benefits that come with these.

The 2023 Prototype Award winner was local dairy pioneers Waikato Milking Systems for their ErgoPOD.

Aimed at both the local and international market, the ErgoPOD provides a step change in milking and revolutionises the way cups are presented and managed in the milking shed.

It exemplifies what can be achieved when solid design is combined with innovative idea generation, deliberate simplification and effective root cause analysis.

With just the right amount of automation, the ErgoPOD reduces injury risks, halves the time to apply milking cups, removes multiple hazards for a cow entering and leaving the milking platform, creates opportunities for precise measurement and control of milk quality, and even speeds up the process of cows exiting a rotary milking platform.

Early-Stage Award winner for 2023 was won by eClean Envirotech. Exhibiting within the new Fieldays Sustainability Hub this year, this team has blended strong contemporary science and Mātauranga Māori in an authentic way.  With Kawa and Tikanga of traditional Māori science.

Their application of scientific theory with a practical application impressed the judges.

The 2023 Growth and Scale Award went to first-time entrants Wilderlab.

Wilderlab embody a unique New Zealand approach to protecting and mapping our environment through their environmental DNA monitoring solution.

The judges were impressed with the novel technology, multiple avenues for growth and strong commitment to values that epitomise the best of New Zealand.

• Fieldays Innovation Awards entries for 2024 are open.