NZ can lead world in sustainable agritech

At Callaghan Innovation, we’re committed to building a globally competitive agritech ecosystem, producing ingenious, value-adding companies, providing meaningful jobs, and solving New Zealand (and the world’s) productivity and sustainability problems.

Sustainable agritech is a natural progression for New Zealand’s agricultural industry. There are huge opportunities for New Zealand to leverage its agricultural roots, and lead the world in modern and sustainable agriculture.

So, how are we supporting innovators to seize these opportunities?

SUPPORTING AGRITECH INNOVATORS THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY

We’re working on a few key workstreams to support New Zealand’s agritech innovators to successfully commercialise.

We launched a new website tool – the Agritech Support Explorer – to help New Zealand’s agritech innovators find and understand what government funding and capability support is on offer to support them. It includes information on support for sustainability-focused agritech businesses.

We are also supporting a number of local and global agritech companies to trial their solutions in the Farm2050 project to demonstrate increased productivity and positive environmental impact in NZ farming systems over multiple seasons. 

FACILITATING COLLABORATION ACROSS THE AGRITECH ECOSYSTEM

Connections with early adopters, investors, researchers and big businesses across the globe are key for agritech businesses looking to expand. With global demand rising for sustainable agritech, opportunities for Kiwi agritech businesses to collaborate with key players are afoot.

We’ve set up the Early Adopter Network, which facilitates connections between local and international growers, farmers and NZ agritech to build effective solutions to global challenges – including climate change, and other environmental challenges.

SETTING OUR SIGHTS ON GLOBAL HORIZONS

With international borders opening up and trade becoming easier, the opportunity is ripe for Kiwi agritech businesses with their sights set on international markets.

In partnership with NZTE, we’re helping create faster pathways for NZ agritech companies to develop and scale globally with our Scale for Global Growth programme. The programme is designed to help New Zealand agritech businesses pursue commercial success in international markets through a supported, methodical approach to scaling businesses for global growth.

We’re also supporting the agritech sector with future foresighting and the ability to spot potential opportunities through our Global Signals program. Global Signals provides expert futurist insights into potential future-changing innovations across the globe – helping agritech businesses to prepare for changes to the world around them.

Each of these initiatives are designed to support the commercialisation of Kiwi agritech businesses, particularly while the iron is hot on environmentally-driven opportunities, and as borders open to the rest of the world. 

SIMON YARROW – GROUP MANAGER AGRIFOOD
Callaghan Innovation