Budget 2015: Push for privately-backed research institutes in provinces

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says he hopes for funding for the launch of between one and three new institutes over the next four to five years. File photo / George Novak

The Government wants to create new privately-backed research institutes in the provinces and has allocated $25 million to help them get started.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce said he wanted to create more private-public organisations outside of the main centres, along the lines of the Cawthron Institute in Nelson.

The Government would be working with regional stakeholders to identify where the best opportunities were to develop these institutes, and the money has been put aside to support the most promising proposals.

The new organisations would have to be based outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The $25 million in funding was for a period of three years and would come out of next year's budget. Mr Joyce said he envisaged funding the launch of between one and three new institutes over the next four to five years, depending on demand.

"Regional Research Institutes would focus on scientific research relevant to a particular region, with a strong emphasis on the effective transfer of research into new
technologies, new firms, and new products and services," the minister said in a statement.

As announced last month, today's budget also put another $80 million over four years into research and development grants distributed by Callaghan Innovation.

The grants, which last for up to three years, allow innovative New Zealand-based companies to recoup 20 per cent of any R&D spending, to a maximum of $17.5 million.

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Another $1 million has been allocated to attracting multinational companies overseas to undertake R&D in New Zealand.

And $3 million has been put aside for an annual reporting programme on New Zealand's science and innovation sector.