This has been a challenging year for the New Zealand science sector due to a changing landscape and regulatory space. The government review under way to improve the effectiveness and impact of New Zealand’s science sector has created uncertainty, and Scion has been further challenged by the financial position of the government and of some of our industry partners.

However, we remain firmly focused on scientific innovation. Going into 2025, we believe our organisation and work are aligned with where New Zealand needs to go – and that we’ve positioned ourselves well for the future.

There have been some high points throughout 2024, as we’ve continued working to create economic value, contribute to positive environmental and social outcomes for the country and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Marine biofuel technology development is one example. Global shipping accounts for three percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and this is expected to rise if action is not taken. Scion’s innovative work on sustainable biofuels offers promising solutions, such as the development of technology that converts waste biomass into biofuel as an alternative to fossil-based marine diesel.

Some of our scientists have received prestigious funding for their work. Dr Bing Song, for example, was awarded a Marsden Fund Fast-Start Grant for a three-year project looking at the fundamentals of electrocatalysis (chemical reactions activated through electrical currents), which could lay the foundations for transforming bio-waste into high-value chemicals.

We have continued to collaborate with other organisations – such as Jooules, Cetogenix and Upflow – to better enable strategic science, research and development. We also collaborated with national and international universities and institutes, the forestry sector and iwi on the five-year Forest Flows research programme, which quantified tree water use and water storage and release of entire forested catchments and aimed to create a forestry hydrology model for New Zealand to accurately predict tree water use, water storage and release for entire catchments and provide data on changes in water quality over time. The programme ended in September and improved our understanding of how forests respond to extreme weather – which will in turn help authorities mitigate negative effects.

We are committed to supporting Māori in forestry through impactful science and technology. We are also focused on education and engagement, as shown by bilingual initiative E Heke E Heka app, which launched in June and aims to increase rangatahi and community awareness and understanding of myrtle rust.

We are now focused on revenue, efficiency and leaning into the Science System Advisory Group review. We don’t know what the outcome of this be, but we hope we can fully lean into it and adapt accordingly. As we look ahead to the next year, Scion is well prepared to respond to and help shape the significant changes on the horizon for our industry. We are excited about our existing and planned research and the opportunities that lie ahead for us.

In the meantime, the Scion Board and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and an enjoyable holiday break.

Dr Julian Elder
Chief Executive