Knowledge Matrix Asia Pacific Ltd was founded in 2008 by Stephen Howard, Principal of kMatrix UK Ltd, together with Mark Copsey and Anne French. Together we service clients in New Zealand, Australia, and Asia.
Collectively, the KM management team has over 100 years’ experience of research into business performance and business risk.
Some recent history
kMatrix Ltd was incorporated in 2004 to develop and deliver new, data-rich opportunity and risk measurement services to selected financial and public sector clients in the UK.
From 2004-2008 kMatrix has developed sustainable markets for market intelligence and high tech/market due diligence for public, institutional and private investors looking to back new companies, technologies, industries, or new economic infrastructure projects.
During that period, kMatrix has also developed new technical solutions and intellectual property that now enables us to scale our data management, data mining and analytical functions for global operation as well as providing a new range of internet-based applications.
As a result, the kMatrix Group was formed in 2008 to include new business activities and to enable us to develop our new high-technology business support services. The new group businesses are:
FreshInSyte: providing software-based assessment products and services for early stage technologies
Markets First: providing new online market data and intelligence for globally important sectors and new technology markets
Knowledge Matrix Asia Pacific: based in New Zealand; providing solutions to key market sectors in the Asia Pacific region and supporting the commercialisation and exploitation of new technologies.
Stephen Howard
Stephen is a Harvard graduate and a qualified engineer, with senior corporate experience in manufacturing and consultancy functions within Courtaulds Plc, and 15 years of managing small knowledge-based research and consultancy businesses. Stephen is currently the major shareholder in Knowledge Matrix Ltd and a shareholder in a number of other knowledge-based businesses.
Stephen has developed unique data, software and analytical processes that can be used to provide expert advice and guidance to public and private organisations that have the will to improve business growth and performance.
Stephen has spent some ten years researching the evolution of integrated manufacturing business and service environments and their associated technology policies on a worldwide basis with Professor R Jaikumar of Harvard University, USA. Further to this, he has implemented aggressive business and manufacturing strategies in a number of major manufacturing organisations, both in discreet, and process industries and their supply chains, and both in established and emerging markets. He is acknowledged as a leading authority on the development of capabilities in supply chains to market.
Stephen has developed, in collaboration with a number of leading academics around the world, a major research programme based on four million cases world-wide, to identify the key parameters for the development of capabilities to produce products and services in changing world markets.
Stephen has specific skills in the development of capability across borders, for new products and technologies, and processes for the commercial control of technology transfer. He is working with a number of Regional Development Agencies in the UK, using the kMatrix process to provide business improvement programmes for individual companies, business sectoral bodies and regional planning bodies across the UK. This work includes detailed technical assessments of the commercial potential for new science and technologies deriving from a wide range of academic, public and private research organisations.
Mark Copsey
Mark is a seasoned economic development practitioner. He is a director of Knowledge Matrix Asia Pacific and is a also a director of the Sustainable Capital Company, a business that is undertaking investments in environmental and efficiency activity. He has many years of experience in economic, industry, and regional development, both in New Zealand and the UK. He has led industry clusters, developed industry and novel technology roadmaps, and developed industry and regional development strategies.
Recent assignments
1. Recently completed, with Knowledge Matrix, the development of an investment plan for the titanium alloy powder industry in New Zealand;
2. Led the development and implementation of the Export Wellington programme – a support initiative for companies that brought together all of the agencies that provide support to exporters to deliver and enhance a co-ordinated programme of assistance. Developed model that has now been transferred to Bay of Plenty and to Auckland;
3. Project leader in developing a Technology Road Mapping (TRM) and implementation plan for JAIN SLEE – a disruptive Telco application developed by Open Cloud Limited, a Wellington based company. This TRM led to the establishment of the JAIN SLEE Industry Forum that is now making significant progress in taking a Wellington developed technology to the world and building wider industry capability capable of exceeding a turnover of $1B;
4. Development of corporate-funded commercialisation funds. This work resulted in the establishment of Bio-Pacific Ventures – a partnership between VIF and Inventages. This is the largest fund of its type set up in New Zealand at over $100M. Co-managed this work with Wrightson as a private sector partner;
5. Project leader of the Technology Road Map and commercialisation plan for High Temperature Superconductors from IRL. This TRM strategy is being successfully implemented using a technology developed in Wellington;
6. Successfully worked with Whispertech in Christchurch to ensure that they received the support they needed to allow a $12M turnover company absorb its first serious order of $300M from the UK. Alongside this, managed the development of a supply chain initiative to allow NZ companies the opportunity to win the contracts to assist in meeting this order;
7. Managed NZTE’s World Class New Zealand programme that builds senior and high level global networks to assist the development of New Zealand businesses. The programme exceeded MED targets in terms of visits and positive outcomes. Took over this programme when it was failing and significantly under-spending and ensured it met targets by proactively working and using networks in New Zealand and overseas, working with KEA.
Anne French
Anne French combines significant commercial experience with strategy development and advice at a senior level in the public sector (in NZ and the UK). Her special area of interest is the innovation system, especially science and technology research funding. She has recently advised clients on international research funding and strategy, investing in biopharma, innovation policy, and the R&D tax credit.
From 2002--2007 she worked for the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology, initially as strategist and subsequently as International Relationships Manager. In the latter position she was also portfolio manager of the International Investment Opportunities Fund, which she re-designed as an on-demand fund. She negotiated international funder-to-funder agreements on behalf of FRST, and helped establish some significant international research collaborations for NZ scientists, especially into North Asia. The largest of these is the Research Centre in Healthcare Robotics, a joint venture between the University of Auckland and Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, backed by significant funding from both NZ and Korean governments. The Centre opened in August 2008.
Prior to joining FRST, Anne French was an academic publisher. She was New Zealand Publisher for Oxford University Press from 1982--1993. In 1994 she was invited by the New Zealand Strategic Management Society to establish New Zealand's first refereed business journal, New Zealand Strategic Management. As Managing Editor she interviewed and wrote about the world's leading strategic thinkers, including Michael Porter, Peter Senge, Gary Hamel, Charles Handy, Nicholas Negroponte, and many others.
Tim Blackmore
Tim holds a Masters of Public Management from Victoria University of Wellington, and undergraduate degrees in economics and political science, also from Victoria University.
Interests
Tims work interests include:
1) Commercialisation of new technology and novel research for public sector clients, existing companies and startups.
2) International business development and trade and investment promotion
3) Advice and support on commercial investment decisions for government and public sector entities
4) Public management reform - particularly review and performance assessment of public sector entities
Career
Tim has worked locally and internationally in the fields of growth and innovation policy, and has supported international connections for technology ventures and research collaboration with New Zealand firms. Tim has a depth of experience in public sector management and expertise in the firlds of organisational capability assessment, and outcomes-based management and business analysis.
His most recent work experience has invovled:
Business and Economic Consultancy (Mid 2006 - date) including:
- Advising MAF on food and innovation business case proposals, and on the impact of the global financial crisis on the primary sector.
- Region to region development partnerships (Grow Wellington and Portland Oregon)
- Business case development for the establishment and funding of a new public enterprise (Tonga Power)on behalf of the Government of Tonga.
- Advice and support for government investment decisions and commercial procurement of IT infrastructure for New Zealand Inland Revenue Department.
Business Development and economic reporting in the United States while advising on economic affairs and innovation partnerships for the New Zealand Consulate-General in Los Angeles (2004-2006).
Vote analysis and business analysis support, while working as a Senior Policy Analyst at the New Zealand Treasury (2002-2004).
Trevor Burgess
Trevor brings to Knowledge Matrix significant industry and professional expertise in manufacturing, commercial development and banking. He is a strong leader with the ability to identify best opportinities for people and business, ensuring a business targets what it needs to succeed. He is also the director of a number of companies.
Recent Employment History
CEO Exicom Technologies Limited - CEO and largest shareholder of Exicom. Trevor came in at a low point for the company and achieved a return to improved fortunes by developing its historic core capability by global strategic partnerships and developing its sub-contracting activity. Exicom's main business is the development, sales and manufacturing of wireless commuications for telecommunications networks in remote areas and harsh environments.
General Manager BNZ - Oversaw the development of two major initiatives which were CurrencySelect and Marketview. The latter merged customer transactions with geographic and census data to provide respective busineses with an understanding of their customers and a tool to tailor their marketing accordingly. He also oversaw the streamlining of the busines sinto a profitable entity.
General Manager BNZ - Managed a project identifying potential shortfalls and possible implications of impending changes over the next decade in the regulatory environment, and developed a strategy to manage this.
General Manager Interchange and Settlements Limited - Managed the turnaround of a degraded service into a streamlined profitable system interchanging circa $3billion, two million transactions per day between the shareholder banks. The system has had no major disruptions since January 1998.
Commercial Adviser, Telecom - Advised on major purchase activities and multi-disciplined projects in a specialised, high technology, highly competitive environment.
Project Manager Telecom - Managed projects around the Pacific Basin and Antarctica providing Telecommunications services.
Partners
iPrismGlobal LLC is our longstanding software development partner responsible for our collaborative and virtual office architecture, online data services and other online applications (link to www.iprismglobal.com )
Innovas Ltd is our consulting partner and channel to public sector and environmental markets in the UK (link to www.innovas.co.uk)
Covalent LLC is our US research partner producing ethical nanotechnology solutions for commercial markets