A top lawyer being double-booked isn't enough for Callaghan Innovation to put off a defamation and breach of contract lawsuit brought against it by Trends Publishing International.

Endance has agreed to return $1.9 million of around $13.6 million in research and development funding.

Trends Publishing, at the centre of legal battle with Callaghan Innovation, had already received hefty taxpayer funding.

A secret report into taxpayer subsidies found the rules governing the scheme were "ambiguous" and "contradict the purpose".

Bluelab Corporation will use a new research and development growth grant to speed up taking a new sensory product to market in the next year.

One of the country's largest off-site housing prefabricators, eHome NZ, owes secured creditors $13.9 million.

Sitting in a military helicopter after a kidnapping and shoot-out in Yemen, Mary Quin stared at the bodies of two fellow tourists, wrapped in blankets and lying at her feet.

Callaghan Innovation chief executive Mary Quin reckons more New Zealand companies should position themselves as global players from Day One.

Callaghan Innovation - a new organisation aimed at boosting economic growth - launches this week but isn't likely to roll out any new programmes for at least six months.