- Hon Judith Collins KC
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector.
"The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into the science sector each year, creating a more dynamic science, innovation and technology system that can respond to priorities and keep pace with technological advances," Ms Collins says.
"Getting the system settings right is the best way to boost long-term economic performance and ensure our scientists can pursue meaningful careers in New Zealand."
The reforms will:
- Transform the current seven Crown Research Institutes into three Public Research Organisations (PROs) focusing on bio-economy, earth sciences, and health and forensic sciences;
- establish an advanced technology PRO to deliver research, capability and commercial outreach around technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum [advanced computing] and synthetic biology;
- establish a Prime Minister's Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council to provide strategic direction and oversight of the system, advise on priorities and identify the biggest opportunities to leverage science, innovation and technology for economic growth;
- establish a new agency, Invest New Zealand, as the Government's one-stop-shop for foreign direct investment, to help the Government reach its goal of doubling exports by 2034;
- develop a national policy for managing Intellectual Property (IP) for science, innovation and technology-funded research; and
- disestablish Callaghan Innovation and move its most important functions to other parts of the system.
"The four new PROs will be designed to maximise the long-term NZ Inc benefits. They will be adaptable and responsive to government priorities, accountable through appropriate cost recovery, and set up to be well-coordinated and to avoid unnecessary duplication. The PROs will also look for partnerships with private sector investors in research capability, facilities and knowledge production.
"The PROs will play a role in stewardship of public good science, which the Government recognises the benefit of," Ms Collins says.
"Callaghan Innovation will be disestablished and its most important functions moved to other entities. Callaghan has simply been spread too thinly across too many functions, leading to poor financial performance and an over-reliance on Crown funding.
"The new Prime Minister's Science Innovation and Technology Advisory Council is charged with setting national priorities for the system, including across the four PROs.
"A key role of the Council will be to make sure the taxpayer funding that goes to the sector is spent in the best way possible to grow the economy, because innovation and technology are the future.
"Invest New Zealand will be the Government's one-stop-shop for foreign direct investment, excluding public infrastructure, and will be an Autonomous Crown Entity.
"It will be focussed on attracting greater investment into truly innovative activities in existing sectors and those with high potential to raise productivity and drive economic growth, as well as greater research and development investment and innovative activity in New Zealand by multi-national companies.
"Invest NZ will also be tasked with attracting more skilled professionals to New Zealand, to help foster innovation, raise domestic capabilities and improve international connections.
"The Government wants to reward and incentivise people in the industry and will therefore develop a national policy for managing Intellectual Property (IP) for science, innovation and technology-funded research.
"This will be based on the model used by Canada's Waterloo University, which vests ownership of IP with the researchers who create it.
"We will also be considering how this policy will apply to the new PROs, with the intention being that researchers receive a share of the financial rewards from commercialising intellectual property.
"This work, along with our move to overturn what has effectively been a 30-year ban on gene technology, will unlock enormous opportunities for our science sector and New Zealanders," Ms Collins says.
"The changes we have announced today are extensive but they will ensure a science system that generates maximum value for the economy and, therefore, for New Zealanders."
The estimated timeline for next steps for the implementation of the reforms is outlined below.
Today's announcement follows consideration of the first report delivered by the Science System Advisory Group.
