GeniusNet

I almost didn’t make it into 2026 and I have the battle scars to prove it. Surviving a serious life threatening illness puts everything else into perspective forever. So visiting Raglan this long weekend – with my wife Renea Mackie – has been an amazing tonic for us both after a very challenging 12 months. Restful location with rejuvenating sea air, amazing views and some overdue quiet time for writing and reflection about what’s up next.

Following a recent reorganisation of New Zealand’s science research institution structure, the government announced a mandated new pathway for commercialisation of publicly funded science and technology research, starting in 2026. Core funding for research has not increased however. So now is the perfect time to re-launch Genius ReFi our collaborative platform for researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and industry players.

This week my son Oskar has been trekking in Nepal, enjoying some amazing views. I rarely post about family stuff here, but I’m so proud of what he has achieved in recent years. He’s developing into a fine young man with a great range of practical skills that will no doubt help fund his future adventures. I’m so glad I was able to see him off on the start of his trip, when we met up in Saigon a few months ago. A great deal has happened in my own life since then.

During our travels over the last few weeks I have been assiduously avoiding all New Zealand media and political commentary. We are such a binary thinking and inwards looking nation, it is nice to have a break from it. But I couldn’t avoid seeing the recent remarks from Mayor Brown and Peter Gluckman both alluding to Auckland’s greatness as a “centre for innovation” whilst lobbying (of course) for government support.

My apologies for the radio silence lately. It has been a huge year personally and professionally with a lot of change, many challenges and some big plans finally starting to coalesce. One aspect of this has been our efforts bringing Genius ReFi to life. Genius Refi is a global collaboration space and news site for researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industry, with a focus on new ventures deploying regenerative science.

New Zealand faces a polycrisis due to decades of under-investment in public infrastructure. Indicative of this malaise are multiple failing infrastructures, over-stretched health services, decaying school buildings and unsafe civic spaces throughout the country. Stopping the rot will require raising our ambition as a nation and improving productivity through a higher value economy.

I first clapped my ears on Ghost In The Machine, the fourth album in the illustrious career of British rock band The Police, as a spotty faced teenager. The cover art for that album features images of three musicians depicted as a glitchy digital display, alluding to the concept of the human mind taking on a digital persona.

This election was supposed to be a climate election. Our last chance to set in place a paradigmatic shift in policies governing the way we treat our planet and thereby setting an example to other nations. Instead, the topic of environment has been almost entirely absent from the debate. That says as much about voters as it does about the candidates vying for our attention of course.

Post navigation ← Previous Recently I attended a public discussion delving into “Otautahi Christchurch as an Innovation Hub”. It’s no secret that the city has confronted numerous challenges over the last decade or so. From devastating earthquakes to wildfires and a mass shooting. One could be forgiven for thinking that the place was on its knees. But it’s not.

I was in a community call today contributing to the good work of the NZ Startup Council. It wasn’t long before somebody popped the “diversity question” into the conversation, complaining that women, migrants and people of colour can’t get help with their startups and do not get a fair hearing from investors in New Zealand.