Engagement with Māori

Māori identity

IRL has adopted a Māori identity – Te Tauihu Pūtaiao – which symbolises the leading-edge work we do to change New Zealand. Te Tauihu Pūtaiao literally means the prow of science – the cutting edge of the waka as it is rowed into new and often uncharted waters. That imagery has now been turned into a reality with a tauihu carved especially for IRL by Sony Davis (Ngai Tuhoe) of Waiwhetu Marae in Petone.  The tauihu is on display in the foyer of IRL’s Wellington site. See Related Stories box.

R&D accord

We have signed an accord to work collaboratively with Fomana Capital, the investment arm of the Federation of Maori Authorities, to apply our world-class science expertise to the raw materials generated by Māori interests in horticulture, aquaculture, fisheries, and beef and sheep farming. The focus is on producing high-value nutraceutical and cosmeceutical products that contain bioactives from these natural products. The initial project is to develop fish-oil products rich in Omega-3 that have a wider range of health benefits compared with those currently on the market, before moving on to bioactives from other natural materials, including indigenous plants. See Related Stories box.

Marae visits

In February 2009, the CEO and senior management visited Waiwhetu Marae in Petone to further develop IRL’s relationship with local iwi. Since the visit, discussions have been held on possible opportunities for collaboration on joint science projects.

Māori summer students

Three members of Victoria University of Wellington’s Māori science student group, Te Ropu Āwhina, were participants in IRL’s Research Internship Programme for 2009, in which selected students spend their summer holidays working at IRL. The students were hosted by IRL’s photonics, HTS and Integrated Bioactive Technologies teams.

Sponsorship of Tekau Plus symposium

IRL was a major sponsor of a Māori business symposium held in Wellington in September 2008. The Tekau Plus symposium took its name from Fomana’s target of developing 10 Māori businesses earning $10m each within the next 10 years. The symposium explored where the potential for this business growth could lie, the impact it could have on the New Zealand economy and the emerging world markets for Māori businesses, including China.