Govt to invest $4.75m in global innovation projects

The Government has announced it will invest $4.75 million through the its Catalyst Fund in 18 global strategic partnerships to support high-quality research.

The Catalyst Fund aims to strengthen international research collaboration by linking New Zealand with world-class international research groups, infrastructure and initiatives, explains Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

"Through this investment, New Zealand researchers will be working with a range of top teams across the globe," Joyce says.

"For instance, Kiwi researchers will be working with teams in Korea and Singapore to build the next generation of internet capability.

"This allows us to develop links with industry leaders and puts us at the forefront of telecommunications when the 5G network becomes readily available," he says.

The Catalyst Fund investment in global strategic partnerships has been made through the Catalyst: Strategic funding stream, administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

"Collaborating with the world's best research teams allows us to increase the excellence and impact of our science, ensuring we remain at the forefront of new knowledge," says Joyce.

Joyce says collaborations include partnerships with researchers in the USA, Australia and Canada that will see new research in marine biosecurity, that will look at developing more efficient surveillance tools and innovative technologies for the control and eradication of invasive species, as well as better evaluation of the impacts of biosecurity incursions.

Future housing for New Zealad's ageing population is also on the agenda, as well as mitigating volcanic hazards through advanced technologies (with Japan), climate change adaptation in alpine and sub-Antarctic island plants (with Germany, France, UK) and epigenetic inheritance and phenotypic variation in large  families (with USA and Canada).

The full list of Global Research Partnerships is available here.