- The Bioeconomy Science Institute reports –
Six Bioeconomy Science Institute Endeavour Fund Research Programmes and six Smart Idea Endeavour contracts have secured 12‑month funding extensions, with a total value of $17.63 million, enabling high‑impact research to continue through 2026. The extensions were announced on 23 April, as part of a broader decision to redirect the 2026 Endeavour Fund allocation to existing eligible contracts.
In total, 64 high‑performing Endeavour Fund projects nationwide will receive extensions, following the pause of the 2026 contestable funding round during reforms to the science, innovation, and technology system.
MBIE Manager of Contestable Investments Dr Alan Coulson said the decision reflects the strong progress and proven impact of these projects.
“Redirecting the 2026 funding allocation to existing contracts will allow a group of strong, high‑impact projects to continue their work and maximise the benefits they deliver.”
The Bioeconomy Science Institute‑led contracts span emerging bioeconomy technologies, environmental sustainability, and low‑emissions systems, and demonstrate the value of sustained investment in established research teams.
2026 Endeavour Research Programme extensions
The original contract start and end dates were: 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2026. The new dates are: 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
Extreme wildfire: Our new reality – are we ready?
Original contract value (GST excl): $11,250,000
Contract extension value (GST excl): $2,250,000
Principal Investigator: Shana Gross (Scion): The Extreme Wildfire Programme has delivered major advances in fire behaviour science, modelling, and understanding of flammability, and a 12‑month extension will consolidate these gains by collecting rare wildfire data, improving future fire weather predictions, and translating science into practical guidance for landowners, councils, and firefighters.
Moving the middle: empowering land managers to act in complex rural landscapes
Original contract value (GST excl): $13,190,000
Contract extension value (GST excl): $2,638,000
Principal Investigator: Suzie Greenhalgh (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research):
This research focuses on the “middle” cohort of land managers who are willing to change but constrained by financial, policy, and market systems, rather than solely on leading or lagging adopters. By identifying and testing key system leverage points, the programme aims to enable scalable action that improves environmental outcomes, farm viability, rural wellbeing, and national resilience amid ongoing economic and climate pressures.
Seeing the forest for the trees: transforming tree phenotyping for future forests
Original contract value (GST excl): $9,627,500
Contract extension value (GST excl): $1,925,500
Principal Investigator: Michael Watt (Scion): The Seeing the forest for the trees programme has pioneered forest‑scale phenotyping using remote sensing, data science, and mātauranga Māori to measure tree performance, carbon, resilience, and cultural values across planted and indigenous forests. The proposed extension will scale these tools to deliver drought‑resilient radiata pine deployment, indigenous forest monitoring, and climate‑smart guidance that strengthens resilience, productivity, and kaitiakitanga.
Te Weu o te Kaitiaki – Indigenous regeneration pathways
Original contract value (GST excl): $15,950,000
Contract extension value (GST excl): $3,190,000
Principal Investigator/s: Johanna Yletyinen, Phil Lyver (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research): The Māori economy is increasingly recognised as a pathway to generating wealth that supports livelihoods, local capability, connection to place, and wellbeing, while upholding kaitiakitanga and ecosystem restoration. This research applies a kaitiakitanga‑centred system‑dynamics approach to identify pathways for sustainable Māori‑led investment, customary trade, market development, and revenue generation that integrates natural, cultural, and economic capital.
The Flowering Crisis: Confronting a changing climate’s threat to NZ’s tree crops
Original contract value (GST excl): $14,500,000
Contract extension value (GST excl): $2,900,000
Principal Investigator: Andrew Allan (Plant & Food): Climate change is disrupting flowering and productivity in New Zealand’s key horticultural and forestry crops, driving the need for climate‑resilient cultivars with reduced reliance on chemical sprays. This programme uses genomics, genetics, and molecular biology to understand how warmer temperatures affect plant flowering, while supporting Māori engagement and public understanding of new breeding technologies. The proposed extension will translate these advances into orchard settings through protected‑growth trials, co‑developed tikanga, and research into epigenetic and gene‑edited traits to support resilient, low‑input production systems.
Vive la résistance – achieving long-term success in managing wilding conifer invasions
Original contract value (GST excl): $12,850,000
Contract extension value (GST excl): $2,570,000
Principal Investigator: Thomas Paul (Plant & Food): Vive la Résistance (VLR) is strengthening New Zealand’s wilding conifer management by delivering science‑based solutions to reduce re‑invasion and build long‑term landscape resilience as control resources tighten. The programme has revealed why re‑invasion persists and developed advanced models, remote sensing, and control tools to improve timing, effectiveness, and national coordination. The next phase will translate this science into action through forecasting tools, adaptive decision‑support to 2050, and exemplar sites that shift management from perpetual control to resilient, productive landscapes.
More information on the Bioeconomy Science Institute Research Programmes described above can be found here.
2026 Smart Idea extensions
Superior protein biocomposites through tailored gradients of nature-inspired microstructure
Contract extension value (GST excl): $500,000
Principal Investigator – Duane Harland (AgResearch): In this Smart Idea project, we are designing a new generation of custom-made biomaterials inspired by how nature optimally organises proteins at a microscopic level during formation.
A new era for biocontrol: artificial eggs for in vitro parasitoid rearing
Contract extension value (GST excl): $333,333
Principal Investigator – Gonzalo Avila (Plant & Food): This programme will generate new knowledge that will enable efficient, sustainable and/ less expensive production of egg parasitoids.
Application of cold-plasma, hyperspectral-imaging and machine-learning to advance NZ’s cell-based protein industries
Contract extension value (GST excl): $333,333
Principal Investigator – Gale Brightwell (AgResearch): This current project delivers a global first by combining cold plasma technology (CPT) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning (ML) to transform cellular protein production.
Developing a pheromone tool for the eradication of Australian redback spiders
Contract extension value (GST excl): $333,333
Principal Investigator – Andrew Twidle (Plant & Food): Our proof-of-concept Smart Idea will provide a novel, species-specific solution to the redback spider problem.
Novel multisensory push-pull insect pest control system: combining ultrasound repellents and pheromone/kairomone attractants
Contract extension value (GST excl): $333,333
Principal Investigators – Flore Mas, Adriana Najar-Rodriguez (Plant & Food):
Our novel idea is to deter insect pests from eating crops by combining predatory bat ultrasounds to ‘push’ insects away from crops (putting speakers in fields), with smells that insects find attractive to ‘pull’ them away from crops (putting the scents adjacent to fields).
Smart, adaptive grapevine rootstocks for a changing world
Contract extension value (GST excl): $333,333
Principal Investigator – Ross Bicknell (Plant & Food): We are developing an entirely new, natural approach to reduce insect pests and viral disease in grapevines, focusing on bioactive compounds that occur naturally in some grapevine varieties.
A full summary of each Smart Idea can be viewed here
Source: Bioeconomy Science Institute
