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Media Release

October 24 2008

New leader for UniSA’s commercialisation flagship
 

UniSA has welcomed Graham Smith to the role of Chief Executive Office of ITEK, the University’s commercialisation company.

ITEK was established to create long-term value through the licensing of intellectual property (IP) and the creation of spin-off companies from research conducted at UniSA.

Announcing the appointment, Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj said Graham Smith’s range of skills would be huge asset to ITEK and help to lead successful new commercialisations.

“In the past five years UniSA has invested heavily in building world class research capability which is producing a corresponding increase in research output and a rapid rise in high quality commercialisation opportunities,” Prof Høj said.

“ITEK is a most successful university commercialisation company and it has positioned itself with a very solid and experienced team, backed by a new $30M pre-seed investment fund, the Trans-Tasman Commercialisation Fund.

“Graham’s experience in working across the world of science and with researchers and at the high end of the commercial and corporate world is impressive.

“He will be a great asset to ITEK in this next stage of growth.”

Smith comes to UniSA from his most recent position as Chief Executive of The Katolyst Group, an organisation specialising in improving the development and commercialisation capabilities of New Zealand industry, universities and government-owned research laboratories.

Working with the NZ government to develop a national food innovation network the group has raised more than $10m in government and industry funding in the last two years and has established three industry clusters to improve strategic thinking, networks and product development.

Smith’s experience also includes a senior management position for the largest government owned research organisation in New Zealand, AgResearch Group another organisation dedicated to commercialise new technologies and products.

His diverse industry experience includes roles with major food companies in Australia in the diary, soft-drinks and sugar industries leading teams that researched, developed and launched more than 20 food products, rationalised supply chain management systems and introduced new technologies into food factories.

He has also worked for an international marketing and advertising company in a variety of roles in both Australia and overseas.

Smith has a Bachelor of Economics, a Master of Business Administration from UniSA and a Commercial Pilot’s Licence.
 

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