New Thinking
Science a priority says Prime Minister
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Excerpt from Prime Minister's Speech on Science and innovation
New Zealand's future economic performance depends to a large extent on generating and using new ideas.
We are home to some of the brightest and most innovative people, scientists and inventors in the world. Despite our small size, and distance from foreign markets, New Zealand companies have time and again proven themselves capable of producing world-beating products and services.
From Weta Digital and Icebreaker through to Zespri and Fonterra, New Zealand's leading exporters have harnessed science and innovation to develop new products and improve the way they do business.
The challenge for New Zealand is to get more of our firms using science, research and technology to deliver more valuable products and services, which in turn allows them to succeed in competitive export markets and to create new and better-paid jobs for New Zealanders.
Science and innovation are therefore key elements of the Government's economic agenda, both this year and into the future.
Our objective is a high-performing public science system which supports economic growth, and a wider innovation system that encourages firms to increase their investment in, take-up, and application of research.
This year the Primary Growth Partnership gets fully up and running, with the Government investing up to $40 million, alongside industry, in research and innovation to boost New Zealand's primary, forestry and food sectors. This investment rises to $70 million in future years.
We are also investing significantly this year in the Domestic Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research, and in the Global Research Alliance, to drive much-needed research on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
This year the Government will fund a network of open access food development and commercialisation facilities across New Zealand. This network will provide the infrastructure that food and beverage firms need to develop new ingredients and consumer products.
The Government therefore remains committed to high quality innovation in New Zealand's traditional resource-based sectors. However, we also want to boost our support for innovation in newer, knowledge-intensive activities like high-tech manufacturing. Growing a substantial portfolio of these businesses, beyond our core resource-based strengths, will be important for New Zealand's future economic growth.
In 2010 the Government will be making changes in the way we invest in Crown Research Institutes (CRIs). The Government believes CRIs can be more powerful engines of growth and we plan to introduce changes to deliver greater benefits for New Zealand. We will also introduce measures to get more research and knowledge out of CRIs and into firms.
As I indicated earlier, the fiscal situation means that future new spending allowances can only be very modest, and most agencies will miss out on funding increases altogether.
Nevertheless, science and innovation, and how they can underpin business opportunities, are so important for this Government that we have made this area a priority for new spending in this year's Budget, with a focus on boosting business research and science capability.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/statement+parliament+0
New Zealand's future economic performance depends to a large extent on generating and using new ideas.
We are home to some of the brightest and most innovative people, scientists and inventors in the world. Despite our small size, and distance from foreign markets, New Zealand companies have time and again proven themselves capable of producing world-beating products and services.
From Weta Digital and Icebreaker through to Zespri and Fonterra, New Zealand's leading exporters have harnessed science and innovation to develop new products and improve the way they do business.
The challenge for New Zealand is to get more of our firms using science, research and technology to deliver more valuable products and services, which in turn allows them to succeed in competitive export markets and to create new and better-paid jobs for New Zealanders.
Science and innovation are therefore key elements of the Government's economic agenda, both this year and into the future.
Our objective is a high-performing public science system which supports economic growth, and a wider innovation system that encourages firms to increase their investment in, take-up, and application of research.
This year the Primary Growth Partnership gets fully up and running, with the Government investing up to $40 million, alongside industry, in research and innovation to boost New Zealand's primary, forestry and food sectors. This investment rises to $70 million in future years.
We are also investing significantly this year in the Domestic Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research, and in the Global Research Alliance, to drive much-needed research on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
This year the Government will fund a network of open access food development and commercialisation facilities across New Zealand. This network will provide the infrastructure that food and beverage firms need to develop new ingredients and consumer products.
The Government therefore remains committed to high quality innovation in New Zealand's traditional resource-based sectors. However, we also want to boost our support for innovation in newer, knowledge-intensive activities like high-tech manufacturing. Growing a substantial portfolio of these businesses, beyond our core resource-based strengths, will be important for New Zealand's future economic growth.
In 2010 the Government will be making changes in the way we invest in Crown Research Institutes (CRIs). The Government believes CRIs can be more powerful engines of growth and we plan to introduce changes to deliver greater benefits for New Zealand. We will also introduce measures to get more research and knowledge out of CRIs and into firms.
As I indicated earlier, the fiscal situation means that future new spending allowances can only be very modest, and most agencies will miss out on funding increases altogether.
Nevertheless, science and innovation, and how they can underpin business opportunities, are so important for this Government that we have made this area a priority for new spending in this year's Budget, with a focus on boosting business research and science capability.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/statement+parliament+0
