Hon Steven Joyce
Minister of Science & Innovation
4 February 2013 Media Statement
$21m of new funding to benefit research partnerships

The Government will invest $21 million over a maximum of seven years to support research that will benefit two of New Zealand’s primary industries Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

A $16 million investment over seven years will be made in the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium and a $5 million investment over a maximum of seven years will be made in Seafood Innovations Limited.

“Science and innovation are major drivers of economic growth and international competitiveness. These investments will help improve the performance of two key parts of our primary industries, and as a result the New Zealand economy will benefit,” Mr Joyce says.

The Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium — a partnership between AgResearch, DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ, Fonterra, Landcorp Ltd and DeerResearch — will develop new technologies that farmers can use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without loss of productivity.

Seafood Innovations Limited — a partnership between Seafood New Zealand, Plant and Food Research, NIWA and Cawthron Institute — will develop new products, processes and services in the seafood value chain to improve New Zealand’s competitive advantage and to grow premium value seafood exports for the New Zealand seafood industry.

“These projects will see industry bodies partnering with excellent research organisations to jointly find solutions, through science and research, for challenges and opportunities they are faced with,” Mr Joyce says.

“The Government is committed to getting better value from science findings by our businesses, industries and other end users to ensure that the purpose-driven research we invest in benefits New Zealand.”

W: http://www.beehive.govt.nz and http://www.parliament.nz

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