Engineering students now top innovators

In the space of just a few weeks a study project has led to a career path for three Massey University product development students after winning the inaugural Innovate Manawatu award.

Rhys Knauf, Michelle Power and Julian Maggin were presented the supreme award and $20,000 in seed funding to get their product ready for market.

The fourth-year Bachelor of Engineering students had been working on a new type of calf feeder for dairy farmers as part of a product development paper and were urged to enter the awards by a lecturer.

“We put a lot of effort in after we’d entered,” Mr Knauf says. “We made the most of the opportunity and the Bio Commerce Centre, which runs the awards, gave us a lot of mentoring and support.”

The calf feeder idea came from a problem two of the group, with backgrounds in dairy farming, was familiar with.

“Most farmers have a feeder that’s inefficient and sometimes dangerous to the calves.” Ms Power says. “Our design improves efficiency, reduces mortality and is easier to clean.”

Mr Maggin says support from the University has been key to their success. “We obviously met here at Massey, but our studies in product design has helped as well,” he says. “There’s a lot of project work that is really practical and gets you thinking around problems, so this kind of thing is not unusual for us.”

He says the Innovate Manawatu win has given them the confidence to take their ideas and make them work.

“We’re getting on going advice from the centre and our lecturers at the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, but it’s a steep learning curve,” Mr Knauf says.

They have now set up a company, KPM Designs, with the goal of providing innovative solutions for the agricultural industry. As for the calf feeder, they hope to have a saleable product ready for next year’s National Fieldays in June. Before then, they will need more investment capital, and of course to pass their final year’s studies.

The Innovate Manawatu awards are about capturing innovation and creating the connections and support to turns ideas into sustainable business.