NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

1 AUGUST 2019

Research, Science and Technology

Foundation for Research, Science and Technology Act 1990

Notice of Amendment of Ministerial Schemes and Introduction of New Ministerial Scheme Issued Under Section 8A Foundation for Research Science and Technology Act 1990

1 The New Zealand Science and Technology Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Published in New Zealand Gazette: 26 August 1993.
Amendment published: 11 August 1994.

This scheme is further amended by the inclusion of the following words:

“Funding

The New Zealand Post-Doctoral Fellowships Scheme has $2.535m to allocate in 1996/97.”

2 Technology for Business Growth

Published in the New Zealand Gazette: 17 August 1995.

This scheme is amended as set out below. The amended scheme applies only to contracts made after the issue of this notice to the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

Technology for Business Growth

1 The Nature of the Scheme

The Technology for Business Growth Scheme (TBG) is intended to develop, or assist in the development of industry skills relating to research, science and technology and to promote or facilitate participation in the development of technologies and the application of the results of research or technological developments.

This scheme is designed especially to catalyse changes in management practices and attitudes towards technology through “learning by doing” (e.g. by part funding enterprise access to and adoption of technology). Better performing enterprises will increase the possibility of:

• a sustainable and appropriate level of private sector investment in technology creation and adoption;
• enhanced collaboration between public sector research agencies and industry; and ultimately
• enhanced economic performance and employment.

In general, the scheme is intended to assist enterprises that do not use technology competently or strategically in their business activities.

Assistance will be offered in the form of:

• part funding of the placement of scientists and technologists into companies;
• part funding joint research projects between enterprises and suitable research agencies;
• assisting enterprises to access the existing knowledge base, including that generated by the government’s own investment in public good science but not exclusively; and
• assisting enterprises to establish and enhance their own research and technological capability.

Research agencies who might participate in the scheme include:

• Crown Research Institutes
• Government Departments
• Research Associations, and other similar organisations
• Polytechnics
• Universities

2 The Objectives of the Technology for Business Growth Scheme

The objectives of the scheme recognise that there are too few firms strategically managing technological innovation, and there are still poor linkages between the private sector and research institutes. The specific objectives of the expanded Technology for Business Growth Scheme are to:

• encourage New Zealand enterprises (particularly those companies that are not strategically managing their technology requirements) to utilise r&d and technology as part of competitive strategy;

• encourage New Zealand enterprises to use the existing technological knowledge base where appropriate, particularly that expertise and human capital created by the Government’s investment over the years in public good research; and

• encourage New Zealand enterprises to establish in-house research, technological and innovative capabilities, and to integrate the use of those capabilities into their overall competitive strategies.

The scheme will aim to fund projects which will preferably result in a permanent change in the behaviour of the enterprise involved and, through commercially successful application of technology, provide an effective example or role model for other enterprises in the same industry or sector. The scheme could also demonstrate an approach to overcoming a generic problem (actual or attitudinal) with a sector or group of enterprises.

The broad criteria or constraints which will apply to all programmes within the scheme are as follows:

• The scheme will not target specific sectors; rather there will be a general requirement to ensure that the scheme spreads over a number of sectors rather than concentrated on just a few.

• The scheme will be aimed at funding initiatives which result in establishing or enhancing technological capability or capacity within enterprises, and which would not otherwise receive adequate support, i.e. funds will not support projects which would have gone ahead anyway.

Additional criteria applying to all programmes other than the Technology Transfer Programme are:

• In general, user contribution of funding should be more than 50% of the cost of the project, subject to variation according to project needs. This demonstrates a credible and sustainable end-use commitment to the particular proposal.

• A key element of the programmes is that proposals should be strongly user linked and market driven. This should be demonstrated principally through the provision of user funding and the commitment of a user to take up the end product of the project. This will create an increase in private sector investment as a result and also a strong commitment to overall management of the projects supported.

To achieve these objectives, interlinked programmes are to be established, to be administered by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

The following programmes apply within the Scheme:

Co-operative and In-house Research and Technology Programme

This programme is aimed at companies that are not strategically managing their technology requirements. The Co-operative Research programme will support co-operative research between research institutions and companies including the placement of scientists and technologists in private sector organisations.