Biotechnology Research Roadmap - Science and Innovation

Vision Mātauranga presents four research themes,
each of which can be enabled by biotechnology research
or can drive innovation through the convergence of
biotechnology research and indigenous knowledge:
• Indigenous Innovation: Contributing to economic
growth through distinctive R&D;
• Taiao: Achieving environmental sustainability through
iwi and hapa relationships with land and sea;
• Hauora/Oranga: Improving health and social
wellbeing; and
• Mātauranga: Exploring indigenous knowledge
and RS&T.
Government Tertiary Education Strategy The Tertiary Education Strategy is a five-year blueprint
sector strategies (2002-2007) 54 for a more collaborative and cooperative tertiary system
that contributes to New Zealand’s national goals and is
closely connected to enterprise and local communities.
The tertiary education sector is of great importance to
the development of New Zealand’s underpinning
biotechnology research capabilities. It also supports New
Zealand’s biomedical research capability.
From a research strategy perspective, there has been
an increased focus on research excellence in the tertiary
sector. This has resulted in the establishment of the
Centres of Research Excellence and the Performancebased
Research Fund (PBRF). The growing emphasis on
connecting the tertiary sector more explicitly with industry
is also resulting in greater strategic alignment of the supply
of skills to important industries which benefit from
biotechnology research, like the primary sector.
New Zealand Health
Strategy(2000) 55
New Zealand Energy
Strategy (pending) 56
New Zealand Waste Strategy 57
One of the New Zealand Health Strategy’s primary
objectives is good health and wellbeing for all New
Zealanders throughout their lives.
Ongoing developments in the biomedical and drug
development sciences will offer significant contributions
to understanding, preventing and treating chronic diseases.
In late 2005, the government announced it would develop
a New Zealand Energy Strategy to provide long-term
direction and leadership to put New Zealand firmly on
the path to an energy system that supports economic
development, while being environmentally responsible.
The Government also emphasised renewed commitment
to promoting energy efficiency and renewable sources of
energy.
This strategy remains forthcoming, but biotechnology
research will potentially contribute to developments in
biofuel and energy developments which would contribute
to the government’s renewable energy goals.
The New Zealand Waste Strategy’s goal to “[reduce] the
damage to the environment from waste generation
and disposal” can be enabled by a range of biotechnology
research developing environmental bioremediation
technologies, cleaner industrial “closed loop”
bioprocessing processes or extracting greater value from
biological industry waste streams.
54
Ministry of Education (2002), The Tertiary Education Strategy (2002-2007), http://www.tec.govt.nz/about_tec/strategy/strategy.html
55
New Zealand Government (2000), New Zealand Health Strategy, http://www.moh.govt.nz/publications/nzhs
56
Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand Energy Strategy development process details: http://www.med.govt.nz
57
Ministry for the Environment (2002), The New Zealand Waste Strategy, http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/waste/waste-strategy-mar02/
24 Roadmaps for Science : biotechnology research