Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Research Science and Technology

14 July 2008
Embargoed till 2pm Media Release

Direct help for exporters in research funding round

Long term research, investments to help exporters and a focus on manufactured products highlighted a good spread in this year’s $785 million science research investment round, Research, Science and Technology Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

Commenting on today’s annual funding round announcement by independent government agency, the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, Pete Hodgson said, “These investments in world-class research and development are vital drivers of New Zealand's economic transformation, and reinforce the country’s push to improve sustainability and business performance.”

Pete Hodgson said he was pleased to see the Foundation investing in a spread of research organisations, with 69 per cent of this year’s funds going to Crown Research Institutes, 15 per cent to universities, nine per cent to private companies and six per cent to other New Zealand research organisations.

“The contracts funded will provide research that will be of substantial long-term benefit to all New Zealanders.

“For example, the primary production area sees such innovative work as Crop & Food Research’s $7.5 million project to develop new pastoral and arable crops with roots that require less water and fertiliser, reducing the environmental cost of intensive farming; and the Cawthron Institute’s $14.75 million contract to develop new and better shellfish types and farming to revolutionise the aquaculture industry.

Pete Hodgson said the Foundation’s investments were complemented by the New Zealand Fast Forward initiative for the pastoral and food industries and the tax credit for private sector research and development that began on April 1 and which reinforced the government’s commitment to research.

ENDS

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