New Zealand’s Bioeconomy Science Institute Secures $20M for Research

The Bioeconomy Science Institute has successfully obtained over $20 million in funding from the Endeavour Fund for two innovative research programmes aimed at transforming New Zealand’s food, biotechnology, and horticultural industries. This significant financial boost will facilitate advancements in both the preservation of perishable fruits and the development of sustainable protein production.

Advancements in Fruit Storage

The first programme, titled Super-Storing: Extending the Life of NZ’s Perishable Fruits, has received $10.2 million in funding. This initiative, led by Associate Professor Robert Schaffer and Dr. Rosie Schröder from the Bioeconomy Science Institute, aims to extend the storage life of fast-perishable fruits like summer fruits and berries by mimicking the long shelf life of kiwifruit. The use of advanced gene technologies will allow these fruits to be stored and shipped via sea to distant markets, particularly in Asia and Europe, thereby enhancing New Zealand’s export potential.

Currently, New Zealand’s fresh fruit exports yield approximately $3.5 billion annually, with kiwifruit and apples comprising a significant portion. This research effort seeks to diversify the horticultural sector, aligning with the New Zealand Government’s objective of increasing export value from $7 billion to $12 billion per year. The programme is anticipated to generate more than $600 million in additional domestic economic activity, minimize food waste, and reduce carbon emissions by transitioning from air freight to sea freight.

“This work will directly benefit growers, extend harvest windows, and build resilience against extreme weather,” Schaffer stated. “It’s about unlocking the full potential of New Zealand’s horticultural diversity.”

Turning Waste into Valuable Proteins

The second research programme, titled Turning Pine Waste into Premium Proteins, is a five-year initiative with a funding allocation of $10.4 million. This project, spearheaded by Dr. David Hooks and Dr. Scott Knowles, will utilize Precision Fermentation (PF) techniques to convert discarded pine forestry residues into high-value proteins.

By employing novel chemoenzymatic methods, the programme plans to transform softwood residues, which are often burned or discarded, into fermentation feedstocks. These feedstocks will support the cultivation of engineered yeast strains capable of producing specialty proteins, such as osteopontin and casozepine, which offer nutritional benefits similar to those of traditional animal-derived ingredients.

“This is more than a research programme,” Dr. Hooks remarked. “It’s a blueprint for how New Zealand can lead in the next generation of food and biotech innovation. This is about creating value from what we already have. New Zealand has abundant bioresources and world-class science. Precision Fermentation allows us to connect the two.”

Dr. Knowles added, “By converting forestry residues into feedstocks, we’re unlocking a new pathway for sustainable protein production—one that aligns with global efforts to build climate-resilient food systems.”

Researchers anticipate several innovations stemming from this programme, including the development of novel enzymes to convert lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars, yeast engineering for enhanced protein expression, and the creation of single-cell protein as a co-product for animal feed.

About the Bioeconomy Science Institute

The Bioeconomy Science Institute emerged from a recent government decision to restructure New Zealand’s research landscape, consolidating seven Crown Research Institutes into four new Public Research Organisations. The institute combines the efforts of AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research, and Scion, making it the largest research organization in New Zealand.

During a visit to the Lincoln campus, Hon Shane Reti, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, unveiled the new visual identity of the Bioeconomy Science Institute. “This is an exciting step in sharing our new organisation with the outside world,” said Transition Chief Executive Mark Piper. “As we start our journey as Bioeconomy Science Institute, it’s great to be able to share this new visual identity which speaks to the organisation that we are building, for the benefit of Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.”

In addition to the funding announcement, Minister Reti also revealed $6.5 million in new industry funding aimed at developing methods to reduce methane emissions from grazing livestock and participated in the signing of a licensing agreement with Nelson-based Seaweave to commercialize aquaculture monitoring technology.