Thomson Medal – for outstanding and inspirational leadership in the management of science: awarded by the Royal Society of New Zealand to Dr Richard Pelham Garland
Dr Richard Garland also received $15,000 from the Royal Society of New Zealand to further his research.
Citation: Awarded to Dr Richard Pelham Garland for outstanding and inspirational leadership in the development and application of science and technology to the New Zealand business development, in particular developing a niche fine chemical industry using local expertise, raw materials and capital.
Description of work: The Thomson Medal awarded to Dr Richard Garland continues the recognition of notable New Zealanders who are outstanding leaders in science innovation and commercialisation. Dr Garland is Managing Director of New Zealand Pharmaceuticals Ltd (NZP), in Palmerston North, a manufacturer and exporter of pharmaceutical intermediates and diagnostics products for the world’s leading pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies. NZP’s business uses by-products from the meat industry to make a number of biochemicals, with the main end-use being in a drug used to treat liver disease. Dr Garland built NZP to become a successful and rapidly expanding business, boosting New Zealand’s yearly exports by over $50 million. Recently NZP diversified into building expertise in complex carbohydrates, and in 2008 built a plant to make such chemicals in compliance with the exacting standards of the international drug industry. Dr Garland’s company recently acquired Dextra, a UK company specialising in synthesizing complex carbohydrates for the drug discovery industry which will lead to additional manufacturing opportunities at the New Zealand plant.
