Robotics to feed the world

Dr Matt Glenn has an Honours degree and PhD in Molecular Biology from Liverpool University and Leeds University respectively. After completing his PhD in 1995, Matt joined Genesis Research and Development, a start-up biotech company based in Auckland where he was the Head of Genomics. At Genesis Dr Glenn was responsible for the development of the largest genomics platform in the Southern Hemisphere. After developing strong operational and technical management skills at
Genesis R&D, he gained expertise in a broad range of management disciplines including strategy development, product commercialisation, organisational management and portfolio, project and capability management through roles at Fonterra and Ballance Agri-nutrients. Dr Glenn subsequently set up a successful innovation management consulting business before joining Hill Laboratories, New Zealand’s leading analytical testing laboratory, in 2014. He was appointed CEO at Robotics Plus in June 2018.

Robotics Plus now employees 21 staff, 7 researchers and is actively recruiting more engineers. It has robots operating in pack-houses in New Zealand and the USA. Most significantly, it has secured investment and a partnership agreement from Yamaha Motor Co. in Japan and the Saunders Family Trust in New Zealand to support its ambitious growth plans.