NZ scientists may get slice of EC agro-bio research project

Andy West

The European Commission is keen to see New Zealand food research experts play a role in a €2 billion ($4.2 billion) agriculture and biotechnology programme set to begin at the end of the year.

Christian Patermann - director of biotechnology, agriculture and food research at the commission's research directorate-general in Brussels - was in New Zealand last week.

He and a 10-strong delegation met with representatives from a range of research institutions, including AgResearch at Ruakura in Hamilton.

AgResearch and the neighbouring Waikato Innovation Park recently unveiled plans for a new livestock-derived food and ingredients innovation centre on land adjoining them.

At AgResearch, Patermann said that, from the end of this year, €55 billion will be available over seven years to support a range of research projects. One priority area was agriculture and biotechnology. Some €2 billion was specifically for "agro-bio food" research.

Patermann said he and his team were here to find out the New Zealand research community's areas of interest.

New Zealand was an "important player in important niches" when it came to areas like dairy, beef, apples, kiwifruit and deer.

"You have a rather reasonable and rather significant share of the world trade in those areas," said Patermann, a German.

Research standards and technological development in New Zealand were very high.

"There's a certain degree of excellence," he said.

However, Patermann thought New Zealand had a "small deficiency" when it came to allowing pure research, rather than research aimed at specific ends.

"The real things which move the world have never been prescribed by ... an order," he said.

Generally speaking, the EU money available to support research would not go directly to New Zealand participants but would support collaborative research projects with Europeans.

AgResearch chief executive Andy West said the EU programme was a great way to bring together researchers who may not otherwise have a chance to co-operate on big food issues.

"We certainly want to grow our links with Europe," West said.

Patermann said that this week funding of €600,000-€700,000 was due to be announced in Brussels to support a group of leading New Zealand research institutions, Fonterra and a British institution in co-operating with Europeans on food technology issues.