German funding for NZ marine institute

A world-ranked marine research institute is to be established in Tauranga, thanks to a $5.5 million grant from the German Government and the forging of a partnership between Waikato University and Bremen University.

The cream of post-graduate research scientists from around the world will be working side by side in Tauranga from early next year.

No decision has been made on where to site the institute, which will be the culmination of two years' planning by Waikato University.

Deputy vice-chancellor Professor Doug Sutton said it was the first project to come out of the New Zealand-Germany Science Agreement signed by the two governments.

Thirteen young scientists studying for their doctorates will be deployed on 13 research projects lasting three years. The projects were designed with input from the Port of Tauranga and Environment Bay of Plenty.

They will work under the supervision of two post-doctorate marine scientists, out of an institute featuring laboratories and a computer suite. The institute is to be called Intercoast - the German-New Zealand International Graduate Marine Research Training Group.

German money will fund half the cost of the first four years of a $20 million, nine-year programme involving three rotations of PhD students. Students will emerge with University of Waikato and University of Bremen doctorates.

Professor Sutton said New Zealand would also benefit by having internationally recognised coastal scientists based here.

Asked if the programme would extend beyond nine years, he said success tended to multiply, and getting this agreement had been a big success. He anticipated there would be further applications for programmes.

Bremen University in northwestern Germany has one of the world's top five oceanographic institutes and the students' work will also take them to Germany's North Sea coastline.

Waikato University has viewed the institute as a big step towards Tauranga becoming a true university city.

Western Bay's economic development agency, Priority One, is managing the Tauranga end of the project. Chief executive Andrew Coker recently travelled to Germany with Waikato University management and marine scientists to make the final presentation.

He was confident they would secure the money needed get the institute off the ground.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES