Mark Sagar PhD FRSNZ
New Zealand Innovator of the Year
2022
Spark
New Zealand Innovator of the Year
Te Pou Whakairo o te Tau
Mark Sagar PhD FRSNZ
Double Academy Award winner Dr Mark Sagar is a thinker of extraordinary vision, imagining our future integrated with artificial intelligence (AI). The co-founder and CEO of Soul Machines, Mark and his team are pioneering new technology to create virtual humans with virtual brains. Mark has a PhD in Engineering from the University of Auckland and was a postdoctoral fellow at MIT. For his work in visual effects he was awarded two Scientific and Engineering Academy Awards for his innovations in animation which have become industry standard in feature films such as Avatar.
The pandemic has seen a rise in the need of digital technologies to disseminate information quickly and globally. Soul Machines has been leading the way, with applications in education, entertainment, commerce and health, for example developing Florence, a digital health worker for the WHO to help combat smoking and Covid-19 misinformation. Mark′s dedication to science and humanity is achieving significant impact worldwide and he and co-founder Greg Cross have grown Soul Machines to a 220-strong global team, with R&D based in Auckland. Mark was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of NZ in 2019 for his world-leading research.
These game changers in their field have used their insight and their passion to make a significant impact. In the spirit of Kiwi inventiveness and resourcefulness, they have created a better future for Aotearoa.
Nominees of this Award must:
- Be an individual who conceptualised and 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, and non-profits.
- Have had significant impact over the last 12 months.
- Be a role model for New Zealanders and highlight a brighter future for New Zealanders.
- Meet Awards Conditions of Entry.
Judges will review each nominee using the following criteria:
- 10 points: INNOVATION:
Describe the innovation of your nominee and the thoughtful, creative, and innovative approach it takes to resolve a challenge. - 10 points: NEED:
What problem does the innovation solve? And how is it unique to the market? - 10 points: COMMITMENT:
Describe the commitment of time, risks, and challenges overcome to develop the innovation to this point (this may still be ongoing). - 10 points: PROVEN-IMPACT:
How has the innovation clearly demonstrated a positive impact on the targeted community (particularly over the last 12-months)? How has this been measured? - 10 points: POTENTIAL:
Describe the opportunity the innovation has to generate economic, social, and/or environmental benefits for a local industry sector, the nation, and or globally. - 10 points: LONG-TERM IMPACT:
How is the nominee planning to enhance, grow, and/or adapt the innovation in the future to best meet the changing needs of the targeted population? How would winning this award impact this person and the work that they are doing?
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