Bioeconomy Science Institute

The soils beneath our feet · Plant & Food Research Host Rebecca Bloomer is joined by scientist Pierre Roudier, President of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science, to explore how soils support ecosystems, store carbon, manage water, reduce flood risk

It’s World Soil Day! 🌏 
Our new scigest podcast episode with soil scientist Pierre Roudier explores why soils matter for food, ecosystems and climate resilience, and how tools like S-map are changing land-use decisions.
Listen here: bit.ly/447TXQV

Roger Bourne – Chief Communications & Engagement Officer (CCEO). Roger is currently Director Strategy, Brand and Impacts at the Plant & Food Research Group and will take up his new role immediately.

Yogesh Anand – Chief Digital & Technology Officer (CDTO). Yogesh is currently at the New Zealand Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi and will join us in January.

Matt Wilson - Chief Commercialisation & Partnerships Officer (CCPO). Matt comes to us after 16 years at HEINEKEN including the last four years as Managing Director of DB Breweries. Matt will be joining us in February.

New Professional Services leadership appointments | Bioeconomy Science Institute The Bioeconomy Science Institute has appointed three new roles to its Leadership Team: Chief Commercialisation & Partnerships Officer, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, and Chief Communications & En...

We’re delighted to welcome three new Leadership Team members to the Bioeconomy Science Institute whanau!

#BioeconomyScience

Hotter summers mean tougher challenges for our pastures.

We’ve collected 300+ seed samples from Albania & Serbia—now part of NZ’s Margot Forde Genebank.

These seeds could help future-proof farming against climate change.

Learn more: bit.ly/48PXOEQ
 

Burning soil-related questions you've been too afraid to ask? 
Come along to our #WorldSoilsDay webinar and hear from Dr Paul Mudge, Group Principal Researcher specialising in soil/water/nutrient cycling & agroecosystems. 
bit.ly/4izpHo4

New agreement to advance AI technologies for aquaculture industry · Plant & Food Research A new agreement signed between the Bioeconomy Science Institute and New Zealand company Seaweave is aiming to drive growth in the aquaculture sector

AI is transforming aquaculture. Our team has developed imaging tools to identify fish, support breeding, and monitor underwater environments. Partnering with Seaweave helps bring this tech to industry. Read more:bit.ly/49L6NYZ
BioeconomyScience #DataScienceWeek 

Celebrating science excellence! 🎉

Dr Tony Conner wins the Marsden Medal for 40+ years in plant genetics. Our Endophyte Discovery Team earns the first Scientific Workers Medal for a breakthrough, adding $3.6B to NZ’s economy. 

Details 👉 bit.ly/3M1NUHu/

#NZScienceAwards #Innovation 

Biomass Satellite Taps NZ Forests for World‑First 3D Carbon Mapping The European Space Agency will use New Zealand research sites to support its Biomass Mission, a satellite program designed to deepen understanding of how forest

🌍🌲 #InTheNews | 8 of our research sites are helping the European Space Agency's Biomass Mission weigh 1.5 trillion trees and track water cycles. This reinforces NZ’s growing role in world-leading forest science.

Read more below!

40 years of JAZZ™ & Envy™ apples! 🍎✨
Discover how a single 1985 breeding cross became two globally loved apple varieties. Dr Richard Volz shares the story on scigest.
Listen here: bit.ly/3JX9cp4

A privilage to host the Honourable Tomasi Tunabuna, Fiji’s Minister of Agriculture and Waterways, & his delegation at our Auckland & Lincoln research centres. The visit was a great chance to share progress on our work with partners in Fiji and across the Pacific. 

🥈 People | Planet | Food, part of our scigest podcast, won Silver in The Climate Award at the 2025 NZ Podcast Awards!

Huge thanks to our host Roger Robson-Williams, our incredible scigest team, & all the guests who’ve shared their insights. 

🎧 Listen bit.ly/47Yqee8 or via your fav podcast app.

🔥 Wildfire risk is rising in Aotearoa — are we planning for it? New research from Earth Sciences NZ & the Bioeconomy Science Institute will help local government, planners and emergency managers reduce harm to those most at risk: communities on the outskirts of towns and cities. 

🔗 bit.ly/4igy2Nm

🚀🌲The European Space Agency will use eight NZ sites to validate its Biomass mission models. These trusted research hubs have driven our Forest Flows and the NZ–NASA Earth Observation programmes, harnessing IoT sensors, remote sensing, big data, AI, and our expertise.

 🔗 bit.ly/4i967Pe

Celebrating 40 years of Scifresh & Scilate — the NZ-bred cultivars behind JAZZ™ & ENVY™ apples 🍎✨
Developed by our scientists in 1985, now enjoyed in 50+ countries thanks to T&G Global. Huge congratulations to everyone involved! 
More here: bit.ly/4pid8j4

Congratulations to Professor Andrew (Andy) Allan for being named a 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher! 

His 6th consecutive year, and 7th since 2017 — placing him among the top 1% of researchers worldwide in plant biology.
bit.ly/4pfqpZQ

Breeding next-generation peas · Plant & Food Research The Bioeconomy Science Institute is breeding the next generation of pea cultivars in New Zealand, led by pea breeder Ali Izanloo

For nearly a century, Aotearoa New Zealand has led pea breeding innovation. Our research develops high-yield, climate-resilient cultivars that support a $166M export industry and global plant-based food demand. Growing impact through science. 🌱 #bioeconomyscience
bit.ly/4qXsfzV

🎉 Dr Shannon Clarke wins the McMeekan Memorial Award for her groundbreaking work in animal genetics — boosting sustainable farming in Aotearoa New Zealand! 🌱

👏 A huge week of science & global collaboration at #ISGME2025

🔗 Read more: bit.ly/4p8rfYi/

#BioeconomyScience #AgInnovation

Scientist profile: Rosie Sargent Rosie Sargent loves wood. It's an incredible complex material, she says, that performs well and shouldn't be underestimated. It's that love that gets the Bioeconomy Science Institute senior technologist up in the mornings. Rosie's work centres around processing wood, mainly around wood drying and modification. "My work is really varied," she says.

🌲 #MeetOurPeople — Rosie Sargent, Senior Technologist at our Rotorua campus, spends her days in the timber drying lab. From analysing data to planning trials, no two days are the same. Get to know Rosie and her work 👇

🔗 www.scionresearch.com?a=132111 

🎉 Congrats to Dr Jessie Prebble of the Bioeconomy Science Institute on receiving a Mana Tūāpapa Fellowship from Royal Society Te Apārangi! Her research will explore how plants support climate-resilient peat bogs. #BioeconomyScience #RoyalSocietyNZ #ClimateResilience

🔗 bit.ly/49bepnm/

Non-destructive fruit testing · Plant & Food Research Scientists at the Bioeconomy Science Institute developed a portable device that uses a small probe to delicately tap the fruit and quickly and accurately estimate its firmness

Our scientists have developed a portable, non-destructive tool to measure fruit firmness quickly and accurately — helping improve kiwifruit quality and reduce waste. Now used by Zespri across global markets. Read more: bit.ly/4oiMVAG

🌱🐄 Āmua’s cow wearable tech just got a $1.2M boost from AgriZeroNZ — with Bioeconomy Science Institute modelling showing up to 95% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions. Our science is helping turn farmer-led ideas into real environmental wins. 🔗 bit.ly/47FnbHD 

New funding to support healthy bioeconomy · Plant & Food Research The Bioeconomy Science Institute is excited to receive more than $6 million of funding to start five new research projects from the latest Marsden funding round.

🌿 Exciting news! The Bioeconomy Science Institute has received over $6M from the Marsden Fund to launch five groundbreaking research projects exploring climate adaptation in plants and fish, fruit genetics, and more. 

🔗 Learn about the projects: bit.ly/4qNXTA8

With high yields, strong disease resistance, efficient water and nitrogen use, ‘Crop78’ is outperforming other varieties and redefining the global French fry... 'Crop78': The perfect potato driving global innovation

🥔 ‘Crop78’ – the perfect potato.

Developed by the Bioeconomy Science Institute, this award-winning cultivar is changing the game for growers and the global French fry market. 
Watch how Kiwi science is driving impact  👇 bit.ly/48QUdab
#BioeconomyScience #Innovation #2025KiwiNetAwards

What Is the Scale of the Bio-Business Sector? Insights into Quantifying the Size of the New Zealand Bioeconomy | Florian Graichen How Big Is New Zealand’s Bioeconomy? A critical question - now answered. A New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited led study provides the most comprehensive measurement yet of Aotearoa ...

How Big Is New Zealand’s Bioeconomy?

A critical question - now answered.

A @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social led study provides the most comprehensive measurement yet of Aotearoa New Zealand’s bioeconomy.
#bioeconomy
www.linkedin.com/posts/floria...

🔬🌱 #NewResearch from our team at the Bioeconomy Science Institute shows a fungus discovered in 2020 can break down wood and agricultural waste more efficiently than traditional commercial enzymes.
 
🔗 Read how it could boost the NZ #bioeconomy: tr.ee/nl4TH7

👏🔬 Science is beautiful! These stunning microscope images were captured by Bioeconomy Science Institute researcher Janet Reid, who’s exploring how skin cells interact with nanocellulose. The blue reveals the nanocellulose structures and the orange highlights human keratinocytes (HaCaTs).

Hallowe’en cobwebs are frighteningly good DNA collectors They’re usually spun to make spooky Hallowe’en decorations, but new research from the University of Waikato and the Bioeconomy Science Institute has found that toy cobwebs can also weave surprising benefits for environmental research.

🕸️ Spooky meets science!

Researchers from the @waikatouniversity.bsky.social & Bioeconomy Science Institute found toy cobwebs can collect environmental DNA — helping track species for conservation & biosecurity.
👉 bit.ly/3JA9L7U
#BioeconomyScience #ScienceImpact 

New sheep trial aims to boost lamb survival and flock resilience | AgResearch A major new sheep trial is underway in New Zealand to uncover what makes a ewe a “good mum” and how that impacts lamb survival and flock resilience.

🐑 What makes a ewe a great mum?

A new sheep trial led by the Bioeconomy Science Institute is exploring how stress in pregnancy affects ewe + lamb survival and farm sustainability — with potential to save NZ farmers $17–20M a year.

🔗 Read more: bit.ly/3LcacFX #BioeconomyScience