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Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman and Minister of Science and Innovation Paul Goldsmith have welcomed this year’s annual funding round of Health Research Council grants with a number focusing on Maori and Pacific health.

“The 54 project grants announced today cover a wide range of topics and will provide invaluable information to help improve health outcomes for New Zealanders,” says Dr Coleman.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith have tonight launched the Primary Sector Science Roadmap at the National Fieldays.

Mr Guy says science will be a key driver in lifting overall primary sector exports to the target of $64 billion by 2025.

“From climate change, to changing consumer preferences, to a greater emphasis on issues like traceability and provenance, science and technology have an important role to play in ensuring our primary industries remain globally competitive,” says Mr Guy.

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith and Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell today announced $3.9 million for 32 projects from the 2017 Te Pūnaha Hihiko - Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund.

“The Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund focuses on the development of skilled people and organisations conducting research aligned with the four themes of the Vision Mātauranga policy; indigenous innovation, environmental sustainability, health and social well-being, and exploring indigenous knowledge,” Mr Goldsmith says.

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today announced an investment of $31.7 million to upgrade New Zealand’s supercomputing capabilities.

“The existing supercomputers are at the end of their operating lives and energy intensive by today’s standards. The new supercomputers will deliver up to 10 times the computing capability and more than four times the storage capacity of their predecessors,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Communications Minister Simon Bridges and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith have welcomed the launch of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum to help understand the opportunities and challenges relating to AI in New Zealand.

Supported by NZTech, the Forum brings together users of technology, tech firms, academia and government to help connect, promote and advance the AI ecosystem and drive positive social and economic outcomes for New Zealand.

A new partnership agreement providing the University of Auckland access to a share of more than $215 million in funding will support further commercialisation of innovative Kiwi research, says Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith.

Budget 2017 will invest an additional $81.9 million of new operating funding over four years to support high-impact, mission-led programmes of science through the Endeavour Fund, Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“The Endeavour Fund supports excellent, higher-risk research with the potential for long-term, transformative impact in areas of future value, growth or critical need for New Zealand,” Mr Goldsmith says.

$40.5 million of new operating funding in Budget 2017 will help to reduce the risk to life from natural disasters and hazards, and explore the unique environment of Antarctica, Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

The new funding is made up of $19.5 million over four years for natural hazards research, and $21 million over three years from 2018/19 dedicated to Antarctic research. It will be administered through the Government’s Strategic Science Investment Fund.

Budget 2017 will invest $372.8 million of new operating funding in the second round of the Government’s Innovative New Zealand programme, Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith say.

“Every initiative in the Budget flows from having a strong economic plan that delivers sustainable growth and jobs,” Mr Bridges says. “The Government’s Innovative New Zealand programme invests in the skills and innovation that will keep our economy growing in the years ahead.”

The funding includes:

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today opened New Zealand’s first innovation institute in Hangzhou, China, a key step towards developing stronger research links with Chinese researchers.

“China is a key science and innovation partner for New Zealand and the University of Auckland Innovation Institute in Hangzhou presents a great opportunity to help New Zealand research organisations commercialise their intellectual property into the Chinese market,” Mr Goldsmith says

Science and Innovation and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Paul Goldsmith will travel to China tonight to represent New Zealand at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

“Attending the first Belt and Road Forum will allow us to add a distinctly New Zealand voice and perspective. New Zealand’s best interests lie in participating in international initiatives that have the potential to benefit our economy and society,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Good evening everyone and welcome.

Thank you for asking me to address the first ever Manufacturing and Design Conference (MaD).

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today announced $1.2 million of additional funding for the Natural Hazards Research Platform to conduct vital research and work to support the Kaikoura earthquake recovery.

“Science helps us to understand what happened during this earthquake, how we rebuild and how we respond to future events,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“New Zealand is leading the world in earthquake science and our unique seismic events provide opportunities to make major contributions to international understanding in this field.”

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith has today announced an additional $74.6 million in funding through the Innovative New Zealand programme in Budget 2017 to meet the growing demand for Callaghan Innovation’s research and development (R&D) Growth Grants.

“Encouraging business R&D helps high-tech, innovative Kiwi companies to bring products and ideas to the market sooner, which has significant benefit for export revenues,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today launched a new edition of an investment guide into New Zealand’s fast growing technology sector.

The Investor Guide to the New Zealand Technology Sector showcases the breadth and variety of technology companies in New Zealand.

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa. Ka mihi au ki te iwi kāinga, ko Taranaki Whānui. Ko Te Raukura e tū nei, kei waho ko te Whanga-nui-a-Tara e pīata mai ana.

Greetings to everyone gathered here. I acknowledge the local iwi of Taranaki Whānui. It is appropriate we are here in Te Raukura with Wellington Harbour sparkling at our feet.

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith has today released a new report which details a number of measures to ensure that the Marsden Fund, the Government’s premier fund for excellent investigator-led research, continues to be effective and fit-for-purpose.

“The Marsden Fund supports fundamental, investigator-led research and aims to raise the standard of research in New Zealand by attracting and retaining high-quality scientists,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith have welcomed 11 ground-breaking projects that have won $1.65 million in explorer grants from the Health Research Council (HRC).

“The Government supports research that leads to improved health outcomes and more effective delivery of healthcare for New Zealanders,” says Dr Coleman.

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith will reveal the details of a significant challenge prize for the wearable technology sector at a launch event in Auckland this evening.

C-Prize, run by the Government’s business innovation agency Callaghan Innovation, will be open to anyone living in New Zealand aged 16 and over.

Mr Goldsmith says it is an example of incentives being used to spur inquisitive minds to create concepts with strong commercial potential.

The release of new data showing a significant jump in the amount spent by Kiwi companies on research and development (R&D) is a sign of the confidence businesses have in themselves and the New Zealand economy, says Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith.

“This is an important survey as it is the first to fully capture the impact of the work the Government is doing through Callaghan Innovation and the R&D Grants programme to support lifting business spending on R&D,” says Minister Goldsmith.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith have welcomed $2 million in feasibility study grants announced today by the Health Research Council (HRC).

“The Government supports research that leads to improved health outcomes and more effective delivery of healthcare for New Zealanders,” says Dr Coleman.

“This year’s funding for feasibility grants is nearly double last year’s, supporting a total of nine studies spanning a range of subject areas.”

Science researchers on both sides of the Tasman are benefitting from the Australian Synchrotron facility, visited today by Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith.

“As foundation investors in the Australian Synchrotron, we have given New Zealand researchers access to a sophisticated facility which can assist in the development of everything from forensics, to surgical tools, through to understanding environmental issues,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Australia   to advance science and innovation collaboration between New Zealand and Australia.

“It’s great to see that our already extensive collaboration with Australia now has a clear work programme in the form of the recently signed the Australia-New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith have welcomed the signing of a bilateral cooperation arrangement in biomedical research between New Zealand and China.

The arrangement between the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) and China’s National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC) was signed by HRC Chair Dr Lester Levy and NSFC Vice President Dr Liu Congqiang today.