Hon Judith Collins KC
Minister
of Science, Innovation and
Technology
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.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
“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.
This post was originally published on here
