Industry

At Te Whai Ao — Dodd-Walls Centre, we’re forming relationships right across the spectrum of strategic value chains for photonics. We’re eager to work with companies branching out to make new photonic components, goods and services for a global market which exceeded US$368bn annually in 2024. That doesn’t count end user products and services such as mobile phones, scanners and drones.

Photonics Strategic Value Chains (SPIE)

• Displays (including wearables and holograms)

• Artificial, virtual and mixed reality

• Medical

• Solar and photovoltaic technologies

• Defence and security

• Lighting

• Autonomous systems (drones, self-driving cars, industrial robotics)

• Advanced manufacturing

• Optical communications and information

• Quantum technology

Our goal is to support technology transfer from the fundamental to the applied and commercial stages. We’re seeking to increase revenues in these components and across the value chains to retain knowledge and expertise in New Zealand and remain internationally competitive in this field.  

To achieve this, we work with numerous “multiplier” agencies, cultivating relationships with sector peak-bodies and associations. We keep abreast of the needs of investors through close relationships with private and public sector venture capital firms including Pacific Channel, the Matū Fund and Outset Ventures.
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Sectors of value to the New Zealand economy, in which Te Whai Ao has specific expertise and which are also seeing global growth include: space, health, agriculture and the environment. We organise tours of companies so that our students, early career researchers and investigators see first-hand different parts of the industry. We actively participate in associated industry conferences to expose our members to industry concerns while also raising awareness within New Zealand of our science.