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.