Stanford MBAs help IRL's emerging tech go global

Alberto Nanes (left) and Tyler Warnock.

Sponsored by IRL under the Global Management Immersion Experience (GMIX) programme, Alberto and Tyler spent a month based at IRL in Lower Hutt channelling their energy into bringing some of the Crown Research Institute’s most promising research closer to commercial reality. Their visit was funded by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology, as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening international relationships.

Alberto, from Mexico City, devised a commercialisation strategy around IRL’s research into photonics, an emerging technology that hinges on the use of photons rather than electrons in signal processing and has potential applications ranging from high bandwidth telecommunications, to defence, security and sensing.

“I was able to determine the market size for the most profitable industries that could be interested in IRL’s technology,” says Alberto, who has one more year to go to complete his MBA.

He also sought out potential partners to develop prototypes, and produce and sell the technology worldwide, as well as potential end-users.

Tyler, from Atlanta, Georgia, worked on a commercialisation plan for a wave energy device under development by Wave Energy Technology-New Zealand (WET-NZ), of which IRL is a partner. The aim is to have pre-commercial devices generating electricity within three years.

He also identified potential strategic partners to augment funds already raised by WET-NZ.

“The dialogue is ongoing and looks promising so far,” he says.

Tyler, who aims to found and operate clean technology start-ups, predicts “the technology could have a profound impact on the energy portfolio in New Zealand”.

Despite so much progress in just four weeks, it wasn’t all hard yakka — at the weekends the students took in some of New Zealand’s top tourist attractions — more than making up for missing their own summer break back home.