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Member-based organisation BIOTech New Zealand (BIOTechNZ), previously known as NZBio, is merging with NZTech Alliance becoming one of its 18 tech sector-members.
According to NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller, New Zealand has a history of innovation in the biotech and biosciences areas, often driven by strong Kiwi foundations in the primary sectors.
Muller said biotech companies like Comvita are merging their knowledge of natural products with biotech – in this instance with honey to create world-leading honey-based medicinal products. He also mentioned NZ-founded carbon recycling company Lanzatech merging biotech with manufacturing.
“As biotechnology, high-tech manufacturing and ICT, such as artificial intelligence, begin to cross over, the New Zealand tech ecosystem is now well placed to identify and support future growth companies through this coming together of NZBio and NZTech,” he said. “At the heart of this amazing period in human history is the convergence of atoms, bits and genes, the ability to use technology to do amazing things like New Zealand’s Revolution Fibres, which is using electrospinning to produce collagen nanofibres and create artificial skin.”
BioTechNZ chief executive Zahra Champion, meanwhile, said merging with NZTech was a natural fit. It will enable BioTechNZ to create a strong and prosperous New Zealand bio economy.
“In today’s world, the importance of biotech is increased in many fields, from medicines to agriculture, from animal husbandry to textiles, from defenceless to energetic,” Champion noted. “New Zealand is fragmented across all sectors with a large number of industry bodies across all sectors.
“We are seeing the blurring of the lines between bioscience and technology,” she added.
The groups quoted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which has estimated the potential contribution of the bio-economy to New Zealand’s GDP as hitting $182 billion by 2030.
