26 June 2002
Technology New Zealand has approved over 500 applications from New Zealand businesses for more than $30million in
grants for research and development, since its Grants for Private Sector Research and Development scheme (GPSRD) began
in September 2000.
This year (July 2001 to June 2002) $17 m has already been approved through the GPSRD scheme, with the largest total
funding going to businesses in the Auckland region ($8.m, or 49%), followed by Canterbury ($2.0m, or 11%).
John Gibson, GPSRD Investment Manager, says some regions, such as Manawatu and Waikato, which have had grants totalling
over $1.7m each, are particularly strong innovators. He suggests this may be a combination of smart companies
recognising opportunities, as well as seeing their neighbours succeed through application of R
Mr Gibson says the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, which administers the GPSRD scheme, is looking at
ways to improve its ability to support the fast-growing ICT sector. This sector received over $5m in funding from GPSRD
over the past 21 months for research and development projects.
"GPSRD funds the technologically 'hard stuff', but not the marketing or commercial activities that are often a priority
for the ICT area," he says.
Other technology sectors, which star in the $30m funding approvals, have been the high added-value manufacturing and
automation area ($4.0m), agriculture, forestry and fishing technology ($2.9m), food, medicine and health ($1.7m) and
biotech at $2.1m.
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