Plan B: Realize your money dreams

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

Smart students and staff at universities and polytechnics are to be courted by Realize Technology, which is implementing its Plan B programme to commercialise ideas and thinking.

Realize Technology director Christopher Mulcare is the man who gave the world Valvemaster, an additive that cleans out car engines while they are being driven.

Mulcare, an industrial chemist, took a chemical already in use, found another way to use it, and made a lot of money as well as doing good things for the car industry.

Helena Parsons, director of Realize Entrepreneurs, the wing of Realize Technology operating Plan B, said Kiwi Universities and techs were full of outstanding technological ideas that would get lost if no one provided a commercial avenue.

A pilot phase for the programme begins shortly at Canterbury and the Albany campus of Massey Universities and Auckland's Unitec.

She said the plan would provide those with ideas a means of sharing them and developing entrepreneurial skills. Once the programme is up and running, people in it with good ideas will be helped to find funding or business partners.

The project is being supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. More information is available at Plan B.