Taking on the world, not each other

Taking on the world, not each other

Collaboration between the various players in New Zealand’s innovation system is at unparalleled levels of quality and quantity, says Anthony Scott, executive director of the Association of Crown Research Institutes.

“But there are some worrying signs as public and private sector investment levels remain low by OECD standards.

“We need to ensure that competition for competition’s sake, and confusion over roles and responsibilities do not lure us back to damaging factional fighting that marred the early years of the science reforms.

“If the ship is sinking through lack of investment, it is futile to rearrange the deckchairs. We are on the same ship, so let’s work together and take on the world, not each other.

“This should be a statement of the obvious for a country that contributes less than one per cent of the world’s science research and is dependent upon global insights, knowledge and connectedness to underwrite our social and economic health.

“On the ground, the two major sets of players - CRIs and universities - are complementing each other’s very different strengths and roles through sharing people and facilities.

“Each brings their unique skill set, perceptions, culture and linkages to national and international research and sectors.

“We need to foster the total mosaic of national capability, from research-led education through to excellent science and technology focussed on benefiting New Zealand.”

Anthony Scott makes his observations in reviewing the current RS&T landscape and how we got here, in the current issue of Education Review.

He also deals with the myth that the nine CRIs are unchanged from their establishment in 1992.

“CRIs are as dynamic as science itself, let alone the sectors they work with – some of them unknown when CRIs were born but to which CRIs are now major contributors.”

The full article is available on the ACRI website at http://www.acri.cri.nz/media/8b241c70ebcd11dbb43f45c07e1a22302230.html.

The Crown Research Institutes are: AgResearch, Crop & Food Research, ESR, GNS Science, HortResearch, Industrial Research, Landcare Research, NIWA, Scion.

ENDS

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