Funding and intellectual property
Who funds biotechnology in New Zealand?
A large proportion of funding for New Zealand biotechnology is provided by the government. The funding can come from a range of sources depending on the nature and stage of the research and development.
General funding information can be found on MoRST's website.
There are five agencies that provide the bulk of public funding for biotechnology in New Zealand:
- the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, which mainly funds research with an applied, commercial or "public good" focus, and also provide some funding for partnering researchers with businesses
- the Health Research Council, which specifically funds health-related research
- the Royal Society of New Zealand, which supports more fundamental research aimed at increasing knowledge through its Marsden Fund and other fellowships
- New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, which provides some funding to help biotechnology businesses partner up to facilitate development, marketing or manufacturing of biotechnology products
- the Tertiary Education Commission allocate research funding to tertiary institutions, and manage the Centres of Research Excellence that are hosted by universities
How is intellectual property protected?
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has produced an intellectual property guide for life sciences in New Zealand. The Patents Act is currently being reviewed. More information is available on the Ministry of Economic Development's website, along with other information on intellectual property.
