Windflow Technology is New Zealand and Australia's only wind turbine manufacturer. Its turbine design is market leading for strong wind conditions and Windflow Technology's turbines are successfully installed at the New Zealand Windfarms site at Te Rere Hau near Palmerston North. Windflow's technology was recently licensed to GD SATCOM, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), a US Fortune 100 company.
AJ Park's commercial team advised Windflow Technology on the negotiation and documentation of this critical licence deal. Commercial partner, Mark Hargreaves, worked closely with Windflow Technology throughout the process. 'It's great to see a New Zealand innovator successfully take its technology offshore and close a deal with such a substantial partner', Mark said. 'It shows once again that licensing IP is a model that can work well for businesses facing the distance to market barriers that we face in New Zealand'.
Mark worked alongside patent partner Michael Brown on patent-related aspects of the deal including freedom to operate issues and licence scope.
As Windflow Technology's chief technology officer, John Arimond commented, 'we shifted Windflow Technology's patent work to AJ Park in 2010 because we were working toward finding overseas partnerships, and we wanted to get our international IP protection advice and our international contract negotiation advice under one roof.'
Mark Hargreaves' advice throughout the license negotiation was prompt and clear, and his competence earned the respect of the US participants.
- John Arimond, Windflow
With its first licensing partnership underway, Windflow Technology can now continue down the manufacturing path in other markets as well as finding further licensees. It also retains the ability to use its technology in multi-megawatt turbines.
For further information visit http://www.windflow.co.nz/.
