Maori get smart about innovation

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox

"Bring on the smart Maori," Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says in response to Maori throughout New Zealand taking up support secured by the party to advance tangata whenua innovation.

"Innovation is what'll get our people jobs and it's awesome to see so many Maori hopping on that waka, applying that same sort of brilliant thinking that got our ancestors across the largest ocean on earth," says Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox.

The Maori Party has secured funding across a range of research and development areas, all with a view to helping Maori fulfil their aspirations and plan for the future.

"We have marae in Whangarei increasing the literacy of their people in digital technology. And we have another group up north developing broadcasting and livestreaming technology so their people have better access to language learning.

"In the South, we have Rangitane iwi and Ngati Apa looking at new ways to fish commercially so stocks, that are in a bad state now, are plentiful for future generations.

"In the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga Moana iwi are trying to find a better way to grow kiwifruit. And just recently we have secured a foreseeable future for some of the smartest and brightest Maori people in the country to do research that'll benefit whanau, hapu and iwi."

Maori Party co-leader and Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell said while many Maori groups are in the beginning stages of their innovation projects, "the initial results are encouraging".

"This is only the beginning and I urge all our people who need help to advance their innovation efforts to keep or start tapping into the support we've secured for them," he said.

In last year's budget the Maori Party pushed the Government to invest funding to develop the science and innovation potential of Maori people. That resulted in a budget of $5 million over two years, known as Te Punaha Hihiko Vision Matauranga Capability Fund and another budget of $20 million over four years to establish a dedicated Maori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE). Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga were recently announced as the successful Maori CoRE.

Further to this the Maori Party secured $8 million last year over four years to support Maori economic development, in particular to support Maori innovation and investment readiness. 41 Maori collectives were recently announced as recipients of Te Punaha Hiringa (Maori Innovation Fund).