Business is a cobweb of human relationships

Waikato’s backbone is Agri Technology...full stop...no question. James & Wells Intellectual Property originated in the Waikato 30 years ago. As the hub to which innovators come to protect their IP, we have a pretty good idea of the business landscape in the Waikato and nationally.

Waikato's backbone is Agri Technology...full stop...no question.

James & Wells Intellectual Property originated in the Waikato 30 years ago. As the hub to which innovators come to protect their IP, we have a pretty good idea of the business landscape in the Waikato and nationally.

The importance of the AgBio Cluster can best be put into context by delving into recent history.

The Gallagher Group
The Gallagher Group (GGL) was one of our first clients. I value the relationship that I've had with them for many reasons. We learnt business and export strategies from them and how to use IP assertively as a business tool. One Gallagher attribute was to use its intellectual property (IP) as an integral part of its relationship with international distributors.

Still on the agricultural theme, we have had a long term relationship with the Fieldays. This has been in many forms - including being on the board and various committees, having the "Think Tank" (a fibreglass water tank converted to an office), the One Stop Inventors Shop, giving seminars, sponsoring, being a Master of Ceremonies plus judging various invention categories.

You could say we know well the multitude of Fieldays exhibitors. Unfortunately Fieldays is also the time of year we see a significant bump in IP disputes as competitors see what each other are up to.

It's a shame in many ways that NZ companies devote their resources to produce competing products in NZ rather than combining forces to develop export markets together.

AgResearch
Moving more to the Bio theme…
We took on AgResearch as a client ten years ago and worked with them to establish internal systems to manage their IP. One of the difficulties with managing IP in life sciences (as opposed to say electronics) is that it takes a long time to gather seasonal data before commercial viability can be assessed. This does not complement the patent system. Thus in the life sciences industry IP management includes greater control of publication, providing experimental design to get good patent data and juggling of IP filing dates.

IP strategies are also different for a research organisation than an established exporter like GGL. Usually return on investment for research is not through manufacturing and distributing product but through licensing or sale of associated IP to another party to commercialise.

Sensortec
This is something that our client Sensortec has done well. Sensortec is a highly innovative company specialising in animal health sensors. Their IP along with other important factors enabled them to team up successfully with Lely a major international manufacturer. Interestingly enough, Lely started life not as
a manufacturer - but as an IP based organisation.

So pulling the strands together we see that successful companies in the AgBio sector:
• Know what others in their sector are doing
• Use their IP to preserve their rights
• Manage relationships with other parties - often using their IP to do so

AgBio Cluster
So, you can see why back in 2002 I was glad to chair and host the meeting that set up the AgBio Cluster. This is why James & Wells is investing again in the cluster by sponsoring events such as the Panel Discussion on
July 21 and future events such as the "Fireside Chats" on IP and the Business Speed Dating.

There is so much potential in the AgBio sector. We see it through our client interactions.

However, for that potential to be fully realised we need to work well together. The AgBio cluster is one way to achieve it.

This article appeared in the Waikato Business News, July 2010 edition and was by written by Kate Wilson.