Published Oct 15, 2026
Dr Dominic Moseley, Senior Scientist at the Paihau-Robinson Research Institute, has been named the recipient of the 2026 KiwiNet Breakthrough Innovator Award, recognising his leadership in advancing high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technologies towards commercial application.
Dominic is a specialist in efficient energisation of HTS DC magnets using flux pumps (HTS power supplies), magnetic drug delivery utilising trapped‑field magnets, HTS machines, and fibre‑optic cryogenic monitoring.
One of the fundamental challenges for superconducting systems is how to operate at extremely low temperatures while carrying very high electrical currents. His team at Paihau-Robinson Research Institute uses flux-pump technology to energise HTS magnets directly inside the cryogenic environment, enabling high currents to be generated while dramatically reducing heat loads and overcoming current limitations. Dominic's contribution has been translating this research into practical solutions that can be integrated into scientific instruments, fusion energy systems, and other advanced superconducting platforms.
Impressed by Dominic's leadership in a field where there is no established roadmap, the judges for the KiwiNet Awards noted that “he is driving not only a highly disruptive breakthrough with significant scale but is effectively creating a deep-tech product category, and building the capability for an entirely new industry for New Zealand.”
The judges also highlighted his “strong leadership in addressing complex challenges that are truly breakthrough, guided by customer needs." Building on the Paihau-Robinson Research Institute's expertise in superconducting systems and flux-pump development, Dominic has played a leading role in overcoming critical engineering barriers that have limited the commercial deployment of HTS technologies.
Collaboration has been central to this success. Dominic works closely with researchers, engineers, industry partners, and the Wellington UniVentures team to develop intellectual property, establish commercial pathways, and build the partnerships needed to bring deep-tech innovations to market.
"Dominic’s work is exactly what commercially aligned research looks like," said Wayne Eltringham, Senior Commercialisation Manager at Wellington UniVentures. "By turning technically difficult research into something that has clear use cases, has strong market pull, and is built on protected IP, he is creating a credible path to high-value impact for New Zealand.
The judges also recognised this long-term vision, noting that Dominic's work is laying the foundations for future companies and industries to emerge from this research, while enabling talented graduates to build world-class careers in New Zealand.
As New Zealand continues to strengthen its research commercialisation ecosystem, innovators like Dominic demonstrate how world-class research can be translated into new technologies and broader opportunities for New Zealand.
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