Ara Whaihua successful proposals

267 Innovations Ltd, a Māori research company, is leading an indigenous-to-indigenous partnership between New Zealand and Pacific communities to trial a renewable energy system for places that currently rely on diesel or solar power.

The project will adapt proven hydro technology into a culturally grounded and environmentally safe platform that offers a clean, reliable alternative to costly diesel generators and fragile solar power systems. Importantly, the system produces no emissions and is designed to have no negative impacts on reefs, fish, or aquatic life, making it a safe and sustainable choice for Pacific environments.

Led from New Zealand in collaboration with Pacific partners, the project also creates opportunities for rangatahi to gain experience in applied research and innovation, helping to grow the next generation of indigenous leaders in science and engineering. The outcomes will extend from immediate to long term. In the near term, the project will deliver a renewable energy system tested in Pacific conditions. Over time, it will build skills and strengthen Māori–Pacific research partnerships. In the longer term, the project will provide a model that can be replicated by other communities, supporting energy sovereignty, local enterprise, and sustainable economic growth.

By combining innovation, culture and community, this project shows how indigenous leadership and collaboration can deliver practical, world-relevant solutions and create a strong foundation for clean energy futures across the Pacific.

AgriSea is a Māori family-owned biotechnology company based in Paeroa, dedicated to unlocking the potential of seaweed to support people, land, and sea. For nearly three decades, AgriSea has developed seaweed-based products that enhance soil, plant, and animal health, helping New Zealand farmers and growers adopt more sustainable and profitable practices.

This project, Te Ara Hono, aims to build Māori capability in science translation by connecting leading-edge seaweed research with industry application. In conjugation with BSI - Formerly Scion, AgriSea has developed a world-first process to transform seaweed waste into cellulose biomaterial — a renewable material that can replace petroleum-based plastics and hydrogels in products such as cosmetics, foods, and medical applications.

Through this project, AgriSea will work alongside research partners from Scion and the University of Otago, as well as industry collaborators (in cosmetics, food and medical device industries) to co-design and test applications, validate performance, and share findings across the Māori innovation ecosystem.

By the end of the project, Te Ara Hono will have generated new data, strengthened Māori research and industry networks, and advanced Aotearoa’s blue-biotechnology capability. The long-term impact will be new commercial opportunities, regional employment, and environmental benefits driven by kaitiakitanga and sustainable innovation.

Alps2Ocean Foods Ltd, the Māori-owned company behind Mīti, is leading a project to turn world-class science into powerful export stories. The aim is to show how New Zealand can meet global demand for sustainable and ethical food by combining cutting-edge research with Māori values.

Mīti is an award-winning, shelf-stable beef snack made from surplus dairy calves, an animal class that is usually considered a waste stream in New Zealand agriculture. By raising these calves to 10–12months, the system improves animal welfare and creates new value for farmers while reducing environmental impact.

Working with the BSI- AgResearch group, Alps2Ocean Foods has already completed a series of scientific studies. These include a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), showing young beef has a lighter carbon footprint than traditional beef, and a Nutritional Life Cycle Assessment (nLCA), demonstrating that Mīti delivers more nutrition per unit of emissions than many plant-based proteins. Functional nutrition has also shown high protein quality and micronutrient benefits. This project will translate those results into export-ready stories that consumers, retailers, and investors can understand. Narratives will be built through a te ao Māori lens, embedding values such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (care), and whakapapa (connection).

The outcome will be a set of consumer-facing materials and a process guide that other Māori agribusinesses can adapt to create their own science based export stories. The expected benefit is a stronger global position for Māori-led foods, starting with Mīti as a demonstration case. Over time, this work will help New Zealand farmers, Māori enterprises, and communities capture greater value by showing the world that our pastoral food systems can deliver nutrition with integrity, innovation, and a lighter footprint.

What we’re doing (aim)

We are developing and testing AI-enabled consenting tools that make the process easier, faster and more consistent for everyone involved in the building and construction sector. Co-design with Māori ensures the tools reflect te ao Māori and respond to barriers communities have identified. Over 12 months we will deliver working toolsets and a practical blueprint to improve user experience and cultural fit.

The science, innovation and technology behind it

We’ll combine rules-engineering, turning selected parts of the Building Code into machine-readable checks, with automated compliance tools and an expert, human-in-the-loop AI system. Together these will trial how digital tools can help verify Building Code requirements more efficiently. Each tool will test a different function, such as pre-lodgement quality checking to reduce Requests for Information (RFIs), structuring producer-statement and product-equivalence workflows, and providing clear, bilingual guidance. The work is grounded in a Kaupapa Māori approach, with Māori Data Sovereignty principles such as decision rights over data, NZ-resident hosting and transparent audit trails embedded from the start.

Who’s involved.

The project is led by Bright Think (science and technology) and guided by engagement with Māori organisations and communities. We will also draw on sector expertise, including automated compliance research and independent technical review.

What New Zealand gains (outcomes)

Short term: Creation and testing of working tools, training guides and standard examples that help interpret the rules consistently, reducing confusion and delays.

Medium term: an investment-ready path that lowers consenting costs and supports technology-ready jobs and productivity across the construction sector.

Long term: stronger Māori participation and capability in science and technology, less rework and waste, and a fairer, simpler consent experience for everyone.

Enquiries: Bright Think — Programme Lead: Maureen Crampton.

We’re on a mission to change how Aotearoa looks after its waterways. Our project will develop an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that brings together cutting‑edge science, technology, and mātauranga Māori. This is about more than robotics — it’s about real‑time digital mapping and monitoring of our rivers, harbours, and oceans to protect the mauri of our waterways and taonga species.

The science driving this project blends marine ecology, underwater acoustics, environmental sensing, and artificial intelligence. The AUV will identify species, estimate biomass, measure water quality, and create high‑resolution 3D habitat maps — all while respecting Māori data sovereignty and tikanga.

This kaupapa is powered by Deep Dive Division with iwi partners Ngāti Hauā and Waikato‑Tainui. Together we bring technical expertise, cultural insight, and deep experience in marine innovation.

Hiwa Systems Ltd, a Māori-owned technology company, is developing a new wearable safety device designed to protect forestry, farming, and infrastructure workers in remote and hazardous environments.

This project builds on previous He Aka Ka Toro MBIE-funded research where Hiwa successfully trialed early prototypes with forestry crews. The device uses Spark-certified technology to track worker location and detect safety incidents, such as when a worker falls or becomes incapacitated. By combining location data with “man down” alerts, the system improves emergency response and overall worker safety in industries where staff often work alone or in remote areas.

The next step, supported through Ara Whaihua, is to prepare the device for commercial launch. Hiwa Systems will work with PEC Innovation, a New Zealand manufacturer with global reach, to ensure the device meets compliance standards and can be produced at scale. Technical partner Iqnexus will provide knowledge transfer into PEC Innovation, while Duress Safety Solutions will support device monitoring and connectivity services. Māori-owned silviculture business Toi Connections will lead field trials, ensuring the device is tested in real-world conditions.

The outcome will be a market-ready product that enhances worker safety, creates new commercial opportunities for Māori-led enterprises, and supports New Zealand’s reputation as an innovator in safety and protective equipment. This project directly contributes to economic growth by enabling Māori-owned IP to reach global markets while also protecting workers at home.

For more information, please contact:

Hoani Matenga – Director, Hiwa Systems

Email: hoani.matenga@hiwasystems.com

Cytisine, a natural compound found in kōwhai (Sophora spp.) and other legumes, is a proven, low-cost and safe treatment to help people stop smoking. In September 2025, the World Health Organisation added cytisine to its Essential Medicines List, recognising its effectiveness in tobacco cessation, and Medsafe has listed cytisine as an approved treatment for smoking cessation. Research also points to potential uses in alcohol dependence, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease.

This project will explore how Aotearoa New Zealand can develop a locally sourced cytisine product. Focusing on cultivating Montpellier broom and kōwhai as cytisine sources, it will also investigate sustainable, Māori-led supply and processing optimisation and product development under ethical access and benefit-sharing arrangements.

Working with leading research partners in agronomy, chemistry, and pharmacology, and guided by Māori governance, the project will ensure benefits flow back to Māori landowners and to the taonga species itself.

Expected outcomes include a validated extraction process for New Zealand-grown cytisine, a regulatory and market pathway for therapeutic use, and feasibility data for scaling through Māori-owned plantations and manufacturing.

Koru Biotech Solutions Ltd, led by Executive Director Verne Atmore (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitāne, Ngāi Tahu), will lead the work in collaboration with Māori agribusiness partner, Wairarapa Moana Incorporation and milk processor Miraka now owned by Open Country Dairies.

Mastitis is one of the costliest animal health issues facing New Zealand dairy farmers. The greatest economic losses in New Zealand and globally are due to subclinical infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (SA) that is often unnoticed, yet reduces milk production, quality, and substantially, farm profitability. Current monitoring tools for bulk tank milk, such as somatic cell counts and bacterial culture, do not always give farmers a clear picture of whether mastitis is under control.

This project will assess the StaphGold ELISA Test Kit, developed by Koru Biotech Solutions Ltd, for bulk-tank milk testing as a practical tool to monitor herd-level SA infection. StaphGold detects immune responses in milk specific to SA, offering a new way to show if infection is widespread in a herd or under control. By working with Miraka suppliers, we will compare StaphGold bulk milk tank results with standard measures and whole-herd test results to confirm its accuracy. The analysis will be led by specialist researchers in partnership with industry.

The aim is to give farmers reliable, easy-to-use information about the prevalence of SA in their herds. With this knowledge, they can design better mastitis control strategies, reduce antibiotic use, improve animal health, and lift milk quality and economic returns.

This proposal delivers a bilingual app (te reo Māori and English) that uses data science, computational linguistics, and geospatial methods to structure and translate cultural knowledge into digital form. The tool contributes anonymised data to a secure system that shows iwi and hapū affiliations and the Māori diaspora in Aotearoa and globally.

By leveraging excellent science and applying it to a cultural and social challenge, the project creates new opportunities for commercialisation, including licensing of anonymised datasets, partnerships with iwi organisations, and the potential for expansion into global indigenous identity tools. This ensures both economic growth and lasting public good outcomes.

The project builds new capability in science and technology translation, particularly in applying data science, computational linguistics, and geospatial mapping within kaupapa Māori contexts. This expertise will strengthen the organisation’s capacity to deliver future innovations that combine cultural knowledge with advanced computing. The expected benefits align directly with the organisation’s aspirations to create digital tools that preserve and advance Māori knowledge while supporting Māori data sovereignty. The project enhances the organisation’s technical and cultural expertise, builds sustainable networks with Māori communities in Aotearoa and overseas, and establishes a strong foundation for commercial and social impact.

A new, Iwi-led project is harnessing the power of modern science and mōhiotanga (ancestral knowledge) to protect the health of the cherished Okataina catchment. This initiative, led by Ngāti Tarāwhai with deep generational ties to the land and water, will create a unique monitoring system that collects scientific data while pesererving cultural values.

The project will blend traditional narratives and observations with advanced tools like drone surveys and DNA-based water testing. This combined approach provides a complete picture of the lake's vitality, ormauri, tracking everything from water clarity to the presence of native species.

The results will be shared through easy-to-understand digital dashboards, ensuring that everyone from community members to council staff can access the same information. This empowers truly collaborative care for Okataina, enabling informed decisions for its future.

More than just monitoring, this project is about strengthening Ngāti Tarāwhai’s role as kaitiaki (guardians) and creating a practical model of environmental stewardship that centres Māori leadership. It is a commitment to ensuring the life-sustaining health of Okataina for all future generations.

This project brings together Ngāti Pūkenga, leading researchers, and industry partners to unlock the potential of pekepeke-kiore (Hericium novae-zealandiae), Aotearoa’s own “lion’s mane” mushroom. Known internationally for its health-promoting compounds, lion’s mane has become a premium ingredient in the global wellness and functional food market. Pekepeke-kiore is unique to New Zealand and carries deep cultural significance as a taonga species.

By refining how pekepeke-kiore can be cultivated, prepared, and regulated for safe use, this project will transform cutting-edge science into practical opportunities for Māori communities. The work will provide iwi - initially Ngāti Pūkenga, but eventually also other kaitiaki partners around the country - with the tools needed to produce high-quality mushroom products, from freeze-dried powders to functional extracts, while ensuring food safety standards and export regulations are met.

The project strengthens Māori leadership in a rapidly growing global industry, supporting intergenerational economic development and protecting cultural integrity through kaitiaki-led governance and data sovereignty. Alongside economic benefits, it builds Māori science capability, creates pathways for rangatahi in biotechnology and food innovation, and showcases Aotearoa’s role in pioneering Indigenous-led bioeconomy ventures.

NZ Undaria has developed a proprietary process to extract the powerful bio-active compound fucoidan from the sporophylls of the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida.

It has access to significant quantities of wild-harvested Undaria through arrangements its parent company Whiore Enterprises has in place with Ngāi Tahu’s Undaria Control Programme.

Earlier this year it released an initial prototype product to market, Pure NZ Fucoidan, under the indigenous Ocean Ōra brand.

Ocean Ōra Fucoidan(external link) — Whiore Enterprises

Marketed through the online platform Pharmacy Direct, it is the strongest form of fucoidan - a highly effective anti-inflammatory and anti-viral - available anywhere in the world.

NZ Undaria is now looking to develop a novel functional drink product based on fucoidan that targets gut health and sectors of the functional drink markets. A novel formulation designed to enhance the delivery of fucoidan and bioactive extracts from other natural products, it will be shelf-stable, highly palatable and available in different flavours.

The product will be marketed online and licensed to marketing partners in key geographies such as Asia, North America and Europe.

The development will be led by an internationally recognised expert in fucoidan Dr Helen Fitton, who has co-authored highly cited research papers that have demonstrated the efficacy of fucoidan and is also a key author on a number of related patents.

She has conceptualised the entirely novel product and will be engaged by NZ Undaria to lead the work programme.

She will be assisted in formulation by Auckland’s Compound Labs, who manufactured the prototype Ocean Ōra product, and with sensory evaluation and consumer testing by Auckland-based Dr Hester Cooper, of Brilliant Reflections.

The product will be packaged in a sugar stick or sachet format by an Auckland-based company.

NZ Undaria is aiming to launch the product domestically toward the end of 2026 and have international licensing agreements in place by early 2027.

This iwi-led programme establishes Aotearoa’s first locally produced natural mushroom extracts for clinical research, making innovative addiction treatments more accessible and affordable while building Māori capability in advanced biotechnology.

The Challenge and Opportunity:

Methamphetamine addiction causes significant harm in Māori communities. Recent clinical trials show that psychedelic-assisted therapy delivered in marae-based settings is highly promising for treatment. However, imported mushroom extracts cost $250–300 per dose, limiting further research and treatment development. By developing iwi-led local production capability, costs can be reduced by 60–70%, while upholding the mana of tangata whenua and the mauri of taonga species and creating economic opportunities in a growing global sector.

The Science:

This programme translates cultivation and pharmaceutical science into practical production methods. Researchers will refine cultivation techniques for native Psilocybe species, standardise extraction protocols, use advanced analytical tools (LC-MS, HPLC) to measure active compounds, conduct toxicology and stability testing, and work with Medsafe to establish regulatory standards. The outcome will be research-grade products ready for Phase II clinical trials in marae-based settings.

The Team:

Māori community researchers from the exiting Tū Wairua project will lead this initiative, supported by the PHF Science, Rua Bioscience, the Bioeconomy Science Institute, and the University of Canterbury. The programme trains Māori practitioners in specialist skills including cultivation science, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceutical product development.

Expected Benefits:

Immediate benefits include research-grade products, regulatory guidance, trained personnel, and affordable continuation of clinical trials. Medium-term outcomes include foundations for iwi-owned enterprises supplying research markets. Long-term, the project enables affordable access to culturally appropriate treatments, Māori participation in the global psychedelic medicine sector, export opportunities, and strengthened indigenous capability in high-value biotechnology—connecting community wellbeing with economic development, scientific innovation, and rangatiratanga over taonga species.

Te Kautuku is a 936-hectare Māori land block in Tairāwhiti, where whānau are regenerating native cover, restoring waterways, piloting nature-market tools, and running sustainable farming operations. Like many rural Māori land blocks, Te Kautuku faces increasing pressure from erosion-prone hill country, declining productivity, and more frequent cyclone damage.

This project supports the next stage of Te Kautuku’s transition by innovating smart grazing technologies - trialling wearable GPS livestock collars integrated with spatial tools and mātauranga Māori to support a new approach to pastoral farming. This system will guide cattle movement through digitally defined zones that protect fragile ecosystems, improve pasture use, and enable grazing in areas where permanent fencing is no longer viable.

The work contributes to a broader vision: a Māori-led model for land-use transition in Tairāwhiti that is culturally grounded, economically viable, and ecologically regenerative.

This project will:

• Build kaimahi capability to deploy, adapt and manage smart grazing systems
• Develop tikanga-informed spatial decision tool packages
• Integrate pasture, erosion, and cultural data for livestock management
• Develop a scalable model for other Māori land blocks
• Share insights with aligned Māori entities across Tairāwhiti

It also supports participation in Aotearoa’s emerging nature markets, with trial data informing future biodiversity claims, native-regeneration incentives, Indigenous-bioeconomy opportunities, and workforce development.

By weaving intergenerational place-based knowledge with cutting-edge innovation, this kaupapa shows how whenua Māori can lead global efforts in sustainable land-use transition. It also equips the next generation of whānau kaitiaki with future-fit tools to manage and protect intergenerationally held whenua.

Led by: Te Kautuku Trust in partnership with AgResearch Group BSI, East Coast Exchange.

Contact: Renee Raroa – Project Lead | renee.raroa@eastcoastexchange.nz

Te Matapihi, Aotearoa New Zealand’s national Māori housing peak body, is turning world-leading AI science into a secure, accessible and trusted tool that helps Māori communities build and maintain homes.

Building on a successful pilot, the project will develop a secure, scalable Generative AI platform within Te Matapihi’s Ki Te Ao Digital Community Hub. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), and Natural Language Processing (NLP), the system will combine trusted building science, housing policy and regulatory information to provide clear, plain-language answers (in English and Te Reo Māori) to common papakāinga and Māori housing questions.

The platform will also generate insight dashboards showing recurring issues across the Māori housing sector, giving iwi organisations, housing providers, and government agencies the evidence they need to design better support frameworks.

The work is being led by Te Matapihi in partnership with the Innovation Activator, a research organisation experienced in commercialising science and innovation. Microsoft New Zealand is providing technical mentoring and secure cloud infrastructure.

In the short term, the project will make housing information easier to access, saving time, costs and reducing confusion. In the medium term it will strengthen digital capability and create new pathways for Māori-led technology and data sovereignty. Over time, the same model can be applied to other areas such as climate-resilient infrastructure, forestry, renewable energy, high-value manufacturing, AgriTech and tourism, further helping Māori and New Zealand as a whole.

This project shows how investment in science can directly benefit communities, turning complex research into practical solutions while growing Māori leadership in New Zealand’s science and innovation system.

Research is a key component of Te Tāwharau o te Whakatōhea (PSGE) and its subsidiary, Te Pou Oranga o te Whakatōhea Charitable Trust. In recent years, Whakatōhea has established strong working relationships with Research Institutions and Universities working towards potential new ventures that would bring back prosperity to this once thriving community of Ōpōtiki. Some of our key research relationships have been with Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, Cawthron Institute, Lincoln University, Basecamp, MetService and MetOcean, to name a few.

Whakatōhea has the ambition of developing its own Indigenous led Research Centre that will leverage from the partnerships we already have, and to grow its capacity and capability to better respond to the scientific, cultural and economic aspirations of the tribe and collaborators. One specific project is with the University of Waikato, focusing on growing Pātiki totara (flounder).

Dr Simon Muncaster from the University of Waikato has led a project with Whakatōhea and Matakana hapū to investigate Pātiki aquaculture. The initial Sustainable Seas project focused on "Captive breeding of Pātiki totara for community aquaculture" and has now led the research into a third phase that has potential for Pātiki sustainability for customary fisheries and commercialisation. This will provide Whakatōhea and Matakana an opportunity to work with the scientists to bring Pātiki aquaculture development into scope.

This funding will ensure Whakatōhea and Matakana have the capacity and capability to align science with Mātauranga Māori, providing language equity through science translation that will have real world outcomes for Iwi and communities.

Koi carp are a destructive pest fish threatening the health of Waikato’s freshwater ecosystems. Te Riu o Waikato is leading an innovative project to turn this environmental challenge into an economic opportunity by extracting high-value collagen from harvested koi carp.

Collagen is a sought-after ingredient in cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and medical products. This project will build on existing marine collagen research and adapt it to koi carp’s unique properties. Working with Plant & Food Research and NZFIN, the team will scale-up extraction methods, validate product quality, and develop concept products. The goal is to create a commercially viable collagen product that supports Māori enterprise and regional economic growth.

The project combines science, mātauranga Māori, and environmental restoration. It will create new employment pathways and reduce the ecological impact of koi carp in local waterways.

This is science in action, restoring ecosystems, empowering communities and unlocking new economic potential from an unlikely source.

Tohu Media, a Māori-owned tech company, is developing an innovative AI platform to protect and commercialise cultural heritage. Our technology creates a "digital fingerprint" for cultural content, such as traditional knowledge and media, empowering indigenous communities to verify authenticity, control usage, and unlock new economic opportunities from their taonga (treasures).

This project will create a strategic commercialisation plan to scale this unique technology globally. We will solidify our foundation in Aotearoa's screen industry and leverage our unique position to enter the Chinese market through a "Living Bridge" strategy, building on shared cultural connections. The work involves detailed market analysis, financial modelling, and the development of robust, culturally-grounded partnership frameworks with iwi.

Led by our experienced team and supported by specialists in China market entry, technology, and finance, this project will generate an investor-ready package to secure significant growth capital. The expected outcomes include creating high-value export revenue and jobs for New Zealand, establishing a new pathway for Māori in the high-tech economy, and setting a global standard for ethical Indigenous AI that respects data sovereignty.

Contact: Kandy Wahanui-Peters, https://www.linkedin.com/in/kandywp/(external link)

“There are now a strong group of Māori and Pacific-owned brands achieving success in the category as both branded companies and suppliers. These are not ‘me-too’ products. This is true innovation (e.g. Viktual+) painting the path forward for the industry.” — Creating Strength from New Zealand – Sport Nutrition: Bio SIII; Coriolis, commissioned by MBIE, 2023

Viktual+ is a Māori- and Pacific-led wellness company combining mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) with modern science to create high-quality, New Zealand-made nutrition products. This project will validate the science behind the company’s performance beverage Malosi RTD (launch scheduled December 2025), which contains New Zealand blackcurrant extract, grape seed extract, and mānuka honey.

In partnership with the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited (BSI), the research will analyse the beverage’s nutrient and phytochemical composition, validate pre-approved and potential self-substantiated health claims, and assess the stability of key bioactives such as anthocyanins and polyphenols over time.

The project will apply internationally recognised in vitro and compositional testing methods to confirm the formulation’s functional performance and support future FSANZ-compliant health-related claims around energy, recovery, and endurance. This work will not replicate or claim proprietary ingredient IP but will instead generate new, verified data about how these New Zealand-grown ingredients perform together in a functional beverage system.

The research strengthens Māori-led participation in science and innovation, builds capability in the translation of validated ingredient science into export-ready products, and supports sustainable value creation from Aotearoa’s primary resources.

Through this project, Viktual+ aims to demonstrate how Māori and Pacific enterprise, grounded in mātauranga and scientific excellence, can lead New Zealand’s next generation of functional nutrition innovation.

Contact:

Viktual+ in partnership with the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited

info@viktual.co.nz