Jonathan Ring and Leatham Landon-Lane

New Zealand Innovator of the Year

2026

2degrees

New Zealand Innovator of the Year

Te Pou Whakairo o te Tau

Jonathan Ring and Leatham Landon-Lane

Jonathan Ring and Leatham Landon-Lane, CEO and CTO of Zethos, are reshaping how the world recycles zinc and tackles industrial waste. From their Ōtautahi Christchurch base, they’ve developed a low-emission, cost-efficient process for extracting zinc from steel mill waste – replacing traditional, high-temperature, carbon-intensive methods with a cleaner hydrogen-based solution. They are scaling this breakdthrough technology up 100 times from a pilot plant at the University of Canterbury to a Christchurch demonstration facility, setting a new benchmark for sustainable resource recovery.

Driven by a shared commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility, Jonathan and Leatham are positioning Aotearoa as a global leader in cleantech and circular industry. Their work at Zincovery proves that New Zealand ingenuity can decarbonise heavy industry, reduce waste, and create economic opportunity – turning what was once an environmental problem into a valuable, regenerative resource stream.

For those turning bold ideas into real-world impact. These innovators lead with courage and creativity, pushing boundaries in science, tech, culture or social change. Their mahi moves Aotearoa forward – and opens doors for those coming next.

Nominees of this Award must:

Be an individual or duo, who has developed an innovation involving a product, service, technology, idea/theory or process across any industry sector including (but not limited to) health, science, technology, robotics, business, education, environmental, sustainability, agriculture, disadvantaged communities, culture and non-profits.
Have had significant impact over the last 12 months.
Be a role model for New Zealanders and work towards a brighter future for Aotearoa.
Meet Awards Conditions of Entry.

What we mean by innovation: An idea, product, service, technology, or process that creates meaningful change – through original invention, smart adaptation of an existing solution, or creative application of knowledge not done before in Aotearoa.

Award Criteria

Judges will review each nominee using the following criteria:

OVERALL INSPIRATION
Rate how inspired you are by this nominee and what they’ve done over the past year.
INNOVATION
Rate the innovation of the nominee/s and the thoughtful, creative, and innovative approach taken to resolve a challenge.
NEED
Rate how well this nominee’s mahi addresses an unmet or underserved need, and how unique their approach is.
COMMITMENT
Rate the commitment of time, and the personal risks (financial, reputational, career) and challenges this nominee has overcome to develop their innovation (this may still be ongoing).
PROVEN IMPACT
Rate how the innovation has demonstrated a positive impact on Aotearoa (particularly over the last 12 months), and how well this impact has been measured.
POTENTIAL
Rate the opportunity this nominee has to generate economic, social, and/or environmental benefits for a local industry sector, the nation, and/or globally.
LEADERSHIP & LEGACY
Rate how well this nominee embodies the qualities of a great New Zealand innovator (courage, persistence, generosity of knowledge-sharing) and their role in inspiring or enabling others in this space.