Posted: 15th March 2019

Posted in: News, PRIMEX Events

In one of our most important and significant strategic initiatives, Primex Field Days has been purpose driven in establishing and backing up its position as the regions most advanced agribusiness exhibition by establishing the Primex Innovation Scholarship.

The North Coast has for many decades, been a hub for invention, innovation and start-up businesses developing many outstanding projects and is home to an extensive wealth of intellectual property through partnerships, collaborative groups, hubs and incubators. Primex is extending this by offering a pathway for developing innovation, to move onto the world stage, through the relationship between Primex Field Days and New Zealand National Fieldays Society.
The Primex Innovation Scholarship is only awarded when a nominated finalist is judged and confirmed as addressing all related criteria, by the events key innovation collaborators including NSW Business Chamber, Regional Development Australia-Northern Rivers, AusIndustry, TAFE NSW and other associated stakeholders.

The Primex Innovation Scholarship is in two parts, with scheduled benefits operating over the next calendar year with events and support including;

Scholarship Part A

Special Guest Exhibition in the Primex Business, Investment & Innovation Hub. Designated space in this pavilion is allocated to feature and showcase the Scholarship recipient. This exhibit is also immersed amongst related invention, innovation, start-ups and support businesses and government agencies while profiling industry, agtech, agribusiness and collaboration in growing manufacturing and export opportunities in many of the associated networks. The value of this part of the Scholarship is estimated at $3000.00. Primex offers broad media coverage and support to the winner, while recognising and profiling the Innovation Scholarship recipient to the events extensive national and international audience.

Scholarship Part B

Within the Scholarship is a commitment from the recipient to participate at the New Zealand National Fieldays – Mystery Creek and compete in the International category of the NZNFS Innovation Centre. This element of the Primex Innovation Scholarship is valued at $5000.00 and is designed to subsidise associated costs including participation, competition, travel and accommodation costs at the NZNFS – Terms & Conditions apply.

As a fellow member of the AAFDA (Association of Agricultural Field Days of Australasia) Primex Field Days has a MOU with New Zealand National Fieldays Society.

Primex considers NZNFS as a benchmark for agricultural events worldwide, as the largest event in the southern-hemisphere, our Scholarship offers a unique pathway for the winning innovation, to become exposed to the New Zealand and International audience with approximately 30-40 countries represented and providing a launch pad to the world market and associated export networks and opportunities.

Fieldays Innovation Demographics, NZNF have three categories,

  1. Prototype – For the backyard innovator isn’t at the commercial stage yet
  2. Launch NZ – Agribusiness products being launched to the New Zealand market – ready for commercialisation
  3. International – For companies working in more than two International Markets. Innovations that are being launched in New Zealand and globally

In 2018 NZNF attracted:

  • 27 Prototype category participants
  • 30 Launch NZ category participants
  • 9 International category participants

The top Fieldays Awards went to:

  • Grassroots Prototype – Acuris Systems (Autonomous Kiwifruit Scanning Robot)
  • Established Prototype – Pamu Farming New Zealand (Deer Milk)
  • Launch NZ – Agricom (Ecotain Environmental Plantain {Note: it is used for nitrogen leaching})
  • International – UBCO Bike (electric bike)

The Scholarship criteria is based on the NZNFS Innovation Awards competition and in general terms this indicative criteria are based on;

  • The innovation must be of Agri relevance – advancing agriculture
  • Recipients would enter into the International Category and therefore would need to be working in more than two markets – i.e.: Australia and 1 other plus looking to enter into the NZ market.
  • The NZNF Innovation Awards criteria is subject to change – click here for up to date information.

The Inaugural Primex Innovation Scholarship was awarded in 2018-2019 to Flow Hive – Read More