14 June 2024

The Fieldays Innovation Award winners were announced last night, with innovative use of fibre proving to be a reoccurring theme throughout the award recipients.

After a record number of entries, 62 participants have shared their ideas and products in the Fieldays Innovation Hub and around the event over the last two days. The five short-listed finalists in each category have had their entries judged by a panel of 15 sector experts.

“This group of innovators represent incredibly hard-working and creative teams who have seen a need in the market and done what they can to fill it”, said Steve Chappell Programme Manager, New Zealand National Fieldays Society. “As our primary industry is met with new and different challenges, it’s innovations like these that will equip us with the tools that we need to thrive,” says Steve.

“The Fieldays Innovation Awards are putting us at the forefront of what is emerging. It is exciting to see some of New Zealand’s greatest minds, along with entries from around the world, and celebrate their hard work in creating and developing ways to improve and foster the industry”.

St Peter’s, Cambridge student Penny Ranger’s Mark-It won the first award of the night, the Young Innovator Award for entrants 19 years old and under. Mark-It is an innovative tool designed to streamline the drenching process for sheep by leaving an ink mark on the side of the sheep's mouth.

The three Head Judges commented that Penny showed wisdom beyond her years and is well down the road towards commercial success with a product that solves a sheep farming issue in a remarkably simple way. "It is a classic Kiwi solution that simplifies an important task while helping save money and waste,”

Fleecegrow from Auckland was the winner of the Prototype Award for its sustainable strong wool replacement for rockwool and peat used in greenhouse growing.

Head Judge Peter Dowd said, “Not only does Fleecegrow convert a waste product into something valuable, but it does it by providing an environmentally superior planting material for commercial growers”.

Christchurch’s KiwiFibre won the Early-Stage Award with its regenerative composite textile made from Harakeke fibre. This textile can replace or complement conventional carbon fibre and fibreglass materials in high-performance applications.

“KiwiFibre profiles a potential new primary industry crop that uses an abundant plant in marginal farmland and supports planting for waterway protection.” said co-founder William Murrell.

Head Judge Shane Dooley loved this 21st-century application of a traditional Iwi material that has been used for a thousand years. “KiwiFibre is a clever application of materials technology and engineering to create a high-performance and sustainable product”.

Events like Fieldays are beneficial for innovators like KiwiFibre, as they can network with investors and corporate decision-makers who can help them progress their ideas and products. On Wednesday, Hyundai and KiwiFibre revealed New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon's brand-new electric rally car, using KiwiFibre for the front and rear bumpers and roof. The car can be viewed on Hyundai’s Fieldays site, F70.

WoolAid, from Auckland, won the Growth & Scale Award for 2024. Its hyper-fine merino wool plaster impressed the judges with its strong ambition to scale. The breathable plaster can absorb large quantities of moisture, moving it away to evaporate into the open air and biodegrade in the soil in approximately four months.

WoolAid has already gained considerable international traction, and head Judge Brendan O’Connell commented, “WoolAid has demonstrated an exceptional understanding of user needs and profound knowledge and capability”.

The new Fieldays People's Choice Award voting continues until Saturday, with all 62 award participants in the running. The public can vote by tapping their Fieldays Smart Band at the kiosk at the Fieldays Innovation Hub. The innovation with the most votes will win $2,000, and a lucky voter will win a voucher for $500.

The Fieldays Innovation Awards provide a platform for creative problem solvers to launch, test and promote their ideas to a large group of their ideal target market. “Every year we see solutions for current problems, and new innovative ways to use existing materials. Our award recipients are showing there is a lot of potential for the sector, especially that there is hope for the future of wool,” says Steve.

The Fieldays Innovation Awards are supported by sponsors AWS, Sprout Agritech, NZME, Gait International, KingSt Advertising, and Blender Design.
 

Fieldays Innovation Award Winners
 

-          Prototype - Fleecegrow

-          Early Stage - KiwiFibre

-          Growth & Scale - WoolAid

-          Young Innovator - St. Peter’s, Cambridge, Mark-It

Update 19 June 2024

-          People's Choice - Wool Be Studying

Iona College Havelock North students and young innovators, Phoebe Butler and Maddie Foote have won $2,000 from Fieldays for their ‘Wool Be Studying’ entry.

Michelle R, has won a $500 Prezzy card for voting for CM Safety's H.O.O.D. as her favourite innovation using her Fieldays Smart Band at the Fieldays Innovation Hub during the event.
 

Learn about the Awards.