The UK Government has set out a vision in its 10-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework to make Britain one of the best places in the world for science, research and innovation.  The British High Commission in Wellington has recently engaged in a project to enhance UK-NZ science links, by encouraging collaborations at the advanced but pre-commercial stage - which show good promise of progressing to business collaborations.

The UK's science base ranks second only to the US on most indicators and in the natural sciences the UK is number one globally. Increased government support and extensive business networks make the UK a prime choice for R&D investment.  

New Zealand’s Ministry of Research, Science and Technology notes that around 30% of NZ-based researchers claim a UK partner of some description, and over 150 Memoranda of Understanding exist.  A priority is to develop linkages in the life sciences, but to develop other missions according to their mutual benefit for the UK and New Zealand.

In many cases, scientists will already know each other or, of each other's work. In such cases, our role is to ask them and their respective UK/NZ institutions if they would see any benefit to moving to an institutional agreement on collaboration.

In 2007, Dr Steve Thompson was appointed to promote research links between UK and NZ research and technology institutions. He has been the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of New Zealand and Chief Executive of New Zealand's Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

The current state of play comprises probable UK-NZ collaborations in medical devices, greenhouse gases, and energy use; several possible collaborations in health, ag/bio, extremophiles, medical devices, dentistry, and energy. In addition, a dozen or so new relationships are being developed.

A mission on Greenhouse Gases visited New Zealand in 2007. Five researchers from the Institute for Grassland and Environmental Research, one from the University of Wales and one from the Scottish Agricultural College, visited New Zealand in December. They moved towards collaborative agreements on greenhouse gas reduction from ruminants with NZ counterparts in nine areas, ranging from near-commercial to quite scientific.  Evaluation results are pending, but between six and nine collaborative outcomes look likely.

A mission from five UK Health organisations visited New Zealand in April 2008.

Others planned for 2008/09 include working groups in functional foods, extremophile bacteria, renewable energy, and agricultural biotechnology. Typically, each mission would bring a group of 5-10 representatives from UK institutions to NZ, with a clear understanding with their NZ counterparts that good promise existed to build closer institutional collaboration.

Where linkages can be made, institutions/companies may move towards agreements involving: