New President For Association Of CRIs

3 September 2002

New President For Association Of Crown Research Institutes

Paul Tocker, chief executive of Crop & Food Research, has been elected President of the Association of Crown Research Institutes (ACRI). Bryce Heard, chief executive of Forest Research, becomes Vice-President. The Association represents the largest integrated providers of science research and its application in New Zealand.

Paul Tocker became CEO of Crop & Food Research early in 2001 following two years as general manager of its research service. Prior to 1998 he was CEO of Tasman Milk Products. He has experience in food technology, farming and business management and is a director of a number of subsidiary and associate companies involved in commercializing intellectual property.

Mr Tocker has an Honours Degree in Food Technology from Massey University and is a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management.

Mr Tocker says that New Zealand’s businesses, researchers and academia need to work together better. “It is time to take on the world, not each other,” he says.

“Our science and innovation are world class. The key to success will be by building on our existing strengths and creating new niches in the markets we understand.

“These may be economic, environmental or social, and must help create a sustainable, thriving New Zealand. To achieve this, we need clarity of purpose for each player in the system.

“Change is required if we are to bring New Zealand back to the top half of the OECD. We cannot continue to do things tomorrow as we are doing them today; we must do things better and in many cases differently.

“By collaboration we can ensure a more integrated innovation system that is dynamic and performance based.

“CRIs offer our experience, insight and knowledge to that task. We are committed to working with the Minister of Science, Pete Hodgson and others of like mind to help make the difference.”

ACRI provides a forum and a voice for the crown research institutes. It enables them to work on common interests with each other and increasingly with others in research and innovation areas.

ACRI will this year focus on working with others in the innovation sector to create an improved performance based science system.

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