ICT Research Consortium Planned

August 19 2002

ICT Research Consortium Planned

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology is calling for expressions of interest for a new research consortium for Information Communications Technology that it is planning to establish. It is to invest between $1m pa and $2.5m pa for the consortium by way of an open tender and it expects its contribution to be matched by funds from the private sector.

The aim of this consortium is to enhance collaboration between industry user groups and research providers and to encourage greater business participation and investment in ICT. The consortium must consist of at least two industry user organisations and at least one research provider. The latter could be a CRI, University or private research organisation. Consortia partners may include New Zealand domiciled organisations, including foreign owned companies but they must show in their proposal how the results will benefit New Zealand.

The Foundation has not specified a particular area of ICT that it wants any consortium to focus on; rather it wants the users of the research to identify the issues and to form the consortium to deal with these.

The Foundation's Group Manager for Investment Operations, Peter Benfell says consortia partners must be financially stable, have a good track record and be able to demonstrate their ability to fund their share of the project. He says while there is no strict limit on the size of a company becoming involved in this consortium, they must be able to make substantial financial contributions.

Peter Benfell says the ICT consortium is another significant step forward in the Foundation's new investment policy, which is closely linked to the Government's Growth and Innovation strategy. This places particular emphasis on ICT, Biotechnology and Creative Industries. He says while ICT is a major sector in its own right, it also underpins and supports developments in other sectors. The Foundation is currently involved in the formation of other consortia in bioactives, wood quality, plant gene technology and methane mitigation.

Those wishing to be considered for this consortium must register their expressions of interest with the Foundation by Friday 13th September.

For further information contact

Peter Burke
Communications Manager
Foundation for Research Science and Technology
DDI 04 917 7809 or mobile 021 2242184

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