News

April 2026: Another bumper issue of the IRANZ newsletter is out now. It's chock full of the latest independent science research news from around Aotearoa New Zealand.

• IRANZ welcomes focus on advanced tech and mission-led science

• Cawthron: New partnership to strengthen future of Bluff oysters

• Lincoln Agritech supports innovation unlocking new uses for strong wool

• LASRA highlights shift to 'Digital Twin' at global leather conference

• Motu: National interest framing key to unlocking global climate finance

• ClimSystems warns against underestimating wind damage

• TTW secures funding for community resilience platform

• Aqualinc: Summer 2026/27 outlook - New Zealand water resources

• Independent research body warns building science capability at risk

• BRANZ: Three decades advancing insulation - Ian Cox-Smith

• . . . And much more.

Are we facing another very dry period for the summer of 2026/27 due to a change from La Niña to El Niño? Aqualinc's Principal Data Hydrologist Jan Diettrich explores the possiblities. Photo: Aqualinc Research.

April 2026: Follow the link for more details on the April 2026 news briefs from our Independent Research Organisations.

• A new chapter - the next generation of BRANZ scientists
• Cawthron: Inaugural Ring Science Scholarship recipients announced during Seaweek celebrations
• Lincoln Agritech-led research highlights pressure on Waikato River system
• HERA: Acknowledging Dr Troy Coyle, former Chief Executive Officer
• Global science communicator partners with Gillies McIndoe to broaden research reach
• Malaghan: From clinical trial to clinical tool
• Mātai: New building now two years old
• Motu Research challenges inclusion on register alongside lobbying organisations
• LASRA: Science that stays with the problem
• Two new trustees join Cawthron Institute's Trust Board
• Motu researcher Livvy Mitchell elevates dialogue on youth adversity
• ...and much more.

The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute has announced a new collaboration with Hip Hop Science, led by internationally recognised science communicator and author Maynard Okereke. Photo: Gillies McIndoe.

April 2026: Te Tira Whakamātaki (TTW) has secured a Rangapū Rangahau Whakahihiko grant through the 2026 funding round of the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund, administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

TTW will partner with Massey University's Joint Centre for Disaster Research to further develop Te Hononga, a digital platform designed to improve how isolated communities prepare for and respond to emergencies. The project will combine mātauranga Māori with scientific data to better predict hazard impacts, guide the placement of emergency supplies, and enable faster, community-led response.

Local "kaitiaki data leads" will document conditions and needs following disasters, while the platform will also support coordination of resources across marae.

Melanie Mark-Shadbolt, Tumu Whakarae (Chief Executive Officer) for TTW, says the project "brings together generations of environmental knowledge with modern science to create practical tools that strengthen community resilience and support faster, more effective emergency responses."

Hono: The Māori Emergency Management Network undertakes a training exercise. Photo: Tash Wanoa, Te Tira Whakamātaki.

April 2026: New research from the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute has uncovered important biological differences between males and females in infantile haemangioma (IH), the most common vascular tumour in infants.

Led by PhD researcher Raka Mitra, the study is the first to examine sex-specific differences across the three stages of IH development (proliferating, plateau, and involuting) alongside healthy tissue controls. The research identified several disrupted biological pathways, pointing to underlying metabolic differences in tumour behaviour.

Notably, female proliferating lesions showed increased oxidative phosphorylation and oxidative stress, along with changes in cholesterol regulation. Functional analysis also revealed that female IH samples exhibited higher rates of cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis compared to males - findings that align with clinical observations of greater incidence and severity in females.

The study provides a detailed proteomic map of IH across both sexes, identifying potential therapeutic targets and reinforcing the need for sex-specific approaches in future research and treatment strategies.

Raka Mitra, lead author. Photo: Gillies McIndoe.

April 2026: Scientists at Lincoln Agritech are contributing to research helping unlock new, high-value applications for New Zealand's strong wool, as highlighted in Avenues article "Writings on the Wool".

The work builds on years of collaboration through the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand-led New Uses for Strong Wool programme, supported by Lincoln Agritech alongside growers, industry partners, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

One outcome is the development of innovative, biobased wool pigments by Wool Source, creating alternatives to synthetic dyes for uses such as 3D printing and textiles.

Professor Travis Glare, CEO of Lincoln Agritech, says the research highlights how science can help revitalise traditional sectors. "This programme demonstrates how long-term research investment can unlock new, sustainable uses for strong wool, supporting both environmental outcomes and economic value for New Zealand."

Biobased wool pigments by Wool Source. Photo: Lincoln Agritech.

April 2026: Experts from Lincoln Agritech are calling for more sustained, science-led approaches to address worsening groundwater pollution in New Zealand.

Providing commentary through the Science Media Centre, Dr Roland Stenger and Dr Helen Rutter outlined the complexity and long-term nature of freshwater challenges.

Dr Stenger emphasised that groundwater systems are highly variable and closely interconnected with surface water, noting that shallow groundwater often plays a significant role in river flows and nutrient inputs. He highlighted the need for integrated monitoring and modelling approaches, including the use of emerging technologies such as real-time sensors.

Dr Rutter added that while groundwater is often “out of sight, out of mind”, it presents growing risks, particularly in low-lying and coastal areas. She stressed that understanding contaminant movement requires more targeted, high-resolution monitoring, alongside improved modelling.

Together, their insights reinforce the importance of long-term investment in data, tools, and collaboration to support effective freshwater management.

Continuous water quality monitoring equipment set up in a small stream in Waikato. Photo: Lincoln Agritech.

April 2026: New Motu research suggests wealthy countries are unlikely to increase climate finance for developing economies unless the way the issue is framed shifts away from appeals to altruism.

The Motu Working Paper, developed with European University Institute and University of Zürich, finds that public support in advanced economies is more likely when international climate funding is linked to national interests, as well as global benefit.

Motu Policy Fellow Dr Catherine Leining says helping fund mitigation in emerging and developing economies is "in wealthy countries' own strategic interest", not only a matter of equity or climate responsibility.

The research identifies several framing approaches that could strengthen support, including shared climate risk, trade and clean technology opportunities, global stability and security, and the role of carbon markets in managing domestic emissions targets.

Despite this, current investment patterns remain highly uneven: developing economies hold around 75% of the lowest-cost emissions reduction opportunities to 2030, yet receive less than 20% of global clean energy investment. Without change, global warming is projected to reach around 2.8°C by 2100.

Motu Policy Fellow Dr Catherine Leining. Photo: Ebony Lamb/Motu.

April 2026: A senior scientist from Lincoln Agritech has highlighted growing concerns about the health of the Waikato River, as multiple environmental pressures push the system towards critical tipping points.

In an article by journalist Matthew Martin in the Waikato Times, Dr Adam Hartland warns that the river is "becoming a case study in what happens when very different environmental pressures hit the same system faster than authorities can respond".

Adam, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Lincoln University and a Hamilton-based senior scientist, points to real-time sensor data showing the system is approaching thresholds "we do not want to cross".

The research forms part of a five-year, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)-funded programme led by Lincoln Agritech. The programme is advancing understanding of cumulative stressors on river systems, supporting more informed management to help protect the long-term health and resilience of the Waikato River.

Waikato River. Photo: Lincoln Agritech.

April 2026: As at 15 April, the Malaghan Institute's ENABLE-2 clinical trial of a new CAR T-cell therapy has reached its midway point, with the 30th patient treated and the trial tracking towards its goal of 60 patients treated by the end of 2026.

Malaghan Institute Clinical Director Professor Robert Weinkove says the milestone is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the trial as it continues to ready the public system for delivering CAR T-cell therapies.

"With treatment of trial participants in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, clinicians and their teams across the country are gaining critical experience and capability in CAR T-cell delivery. We hope this will help New Zealand advance CAR T-cell therapies as a future standard of care."

ENABLE-2 got underway in July 2024 on the back of promising phase 1 trial results that suggest improved safety compared with leading commercial CAR T-cell therapies, while remaining highly effective for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. With automated manufacturing of patients' CAR T-cells by the Malaghan Institute's partner BioOra Limited, the phase 2 trial expanded to three sites in February 2025, increasing the pace at which patients could be enrolled and treated.

The ENABLE-2 team at Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Photo: Malaghan.

April 2026: Geoff Holmes, Director of the Leather and Shoe Research Association (LASRA), is drawing attention to a critical gap in New Zealand's innovation system — the space between scientific discovery and real-world application.

While high-quality research is produced across universities and institutes, Geoff notes that much of it does not translate into practical capability. In sectors such as leather manufacturing, innovation must be tested, refined and embedded within existing production systems to succeed.

LASRA works across this interface, combining fundamental research into collagen structure and processing chemistry with applied development of industrial processes. This integrated approach brings together scientific knowledge, process expertise and industry constraints to ensure research can be used reliably in practice.

By validating and translating research into workable solutions, LASRA helps reduce implementation risk, improve production consistency and accelerate the path from research to impact.

Geoff says strengthening this "missing link" will be key to ensuring New Zealand realises the full value of its research investments.

AI Image: LASRA.

April 2026: The Leather and Shoe Research Association (LASRA) is highlighting a shift in leather processing following insights shared at the International Leather Maker (ILM) Great Leather Reset conference.

Speaking at the event in March, Geoff Holmes, Director of LASRA, outlined the industry's move away from traditional recipe-based methods toward the use of “Digital Twin” technologies. These systems provide real-time insight into what is happening inside the tanning drum — a complex, dynamic environment where critical changes occur during processing, not just at the end.

Geoff noted that effective leather production depends on understanding how variables such as temperature, pH, concentration and mechanical action interact. These factors influence reaction rates, chemical transport and fibre structure, ultimately determining whether treatments occur as intended.

Digital Twin approaches allow technicians to monitor and respond to these interactions as they happen, improving control and consistency.

Geoff says this shift marks a move from simply observing outcomes to actively designing them, strengthening industry capability and performance.

Image: LASRA.

April 2026: Although a worst-case scenario might not have played out, Hamilton-based ClimSystems is urging New Zealanders to take wind warnings seriously, following recent alerts from MetService for severe conditions associated with Ex-Tropical Cyclone Vaianu.

The reminder draws on impacts from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Dovi, which cost Hamilton City Council more than $1 million. The event generated over 700 call-outs and 1,500 service requests, largely due to tree damage, infrastructure failure, and widespread disruption. Nationally, more than 50,000 people experienced power outages.

"Wind events are often underestimated compared to rainfall events, because the damage is less visible than widespread flooding," says Dr Peter Urich, Managing Director of ClimSystems. "Our report on the 2022 Cyclone Dovi event showed that wind events associated with ex-tropical cyclones can have serious social and economic consequences to communities across New Zealand, even in landlocked places like Hamilton. Here, it was the cumulative cost of operational call-outs, power outages, transport disruptions, and structural failures that added up to the $1 million bill, not to mention the social and psychological impact on people affected."

If damaging gusts are forecast across parts of the country, ClimSystems warns that preparedness and attention to official advice remain critical.

Image: earth.nullschool.net | Wind | 10 April 2026 15:00

April 2026: Over more than 30 years of research and testing work, BRANZ Building Physicist Dr Ian Cox-Smith has underpinned big changes in the Building Code and standards. More people are living in warm homes as a result.

When Ian started work at BRANZ in the early 1990s, a colleague asked him what he was working on. He told them it was insulation materials and thermal performance. 'And what will you be working on next week?' they asked. While there was an element of humour in the comment, there was also a lot of truth. Much less thought was given to the topic back then and the testing methods available today didn't exist.

A large part of Ian's work is testing insulation materials and products for BRANZ's commercial clients. While some are from Aotearoa New Zealand, he also does a great deal of work for Australian manufacturers.

The equipment used and its level of precision has changed over the years - in some instances, with Ian physically building or modifying the hot boxes required. He repaired one $150,000 piece of equipment with complex faults so it was working perfectly again. 'Not bad, eh?'' he says.

Research work, including around retrofitting insulation into existing buildings, has also been an important part of his work. 'Insulation is one of the few things that pays for itself.'

Dr Ian Cox-Smith. Photo: BRANZ.

April 2026: Researchers from the Bragato Research Institute have reported encouraging findings from the first growing season of the Next Generation Viticulture (NGV) programme in Marlborough. The initiative is testing innovative grapevine training systems designed to improve vineyard profitability, reduce labour costs, and enhance sustainability while maintaining New Zealand's premium wine quality.

Trials across seven vineyard sites are comparing three alternative canopy systems (6V, 9V and 12V) with standard cane-pruned methods. Early results from two Sauvignon blanc sites show the new systems promote faster early-season canopy development and significantly higher yields, driven by increased bunch numbers.

While sugar accumulation was generally fastest in standard systems, the 6V treatment achieved comparable ripeness with only minor delays. Importantly, vine vigour in 6V remained moderate, suggesting potential to reduce intensive canopy management practices.

Researchers say the findings indicate these new systems could improve efficiency without compromising fruit quality. Further analysis, including wine sensory results, will follow in future reports.

Season one viticulture results from the Next Generation Viticulture programme. Photo: Bragato Research Institute.

April 2026: While SB2.0's goal is improved Sauvignon Blanc clones, New Zealand Winegrowers' (NZW) foundational genetics programme has already created long-lasting assets for the industry: new disease and virus testing capability, scalable screening tools, modern genetic "fingerprinting", robust data systems, and stronger global and local partnerships. Programme Manager Dr Darrell Lizamore reflects on what's now in place, and why it matters for winegrowers.

"One of the most gratifying parts of my work has been seeing the enthusiastic response from visitors to our new breeding vineyard. With the vine population expected to reach 10,000 vines this season, it's a tangible (and large) example of the progress we've made toward developing and selecting new clones of our dominant national variety.

"Less visible are the modern resources for grapevine improvement we've built in the background. Developing new vines is a long game, but the capability to produce and screen them faster, more reliably, and with less risk will accelerate progress and reduce costs for years to come. This article will shed some light on that capability and how it's already being used beyond the Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 Programme (SB2.0)."

A new sauvignon blanc clone is planted in a test breeding vineyard. Photo: Bragato Research Institute.

April 2026: Are we facing another very dry period for the summer of 2026/27 due to a change from La Niña to El Niño? Aqualinc's Principal Data Hydrologist Jan Diettrich explores the possiblities.

"El Niño and La Niña represent the two extremes of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a naturally occurring fluctuation in Pacific Ocean Sea-surface temperatures that typically operates on a three-to-seven-year cycle. ENSO exerts a strong influence on New Zealand's large-scale weather patterns and seasonal water availability. While drought can occur under both ENSO phases, the past few summers in Canterbury have generally been wetter than average, reducing pressure on water users and allowing some recovery of river flows and groundwater levels."

However, the latest ECMWF seasonal forecast system indicates a heightened likelihood that El Niño conditions will develop during 2026 and persist into the 2026/27 summer, although there remains uncertainty regarding the eventual strength of the event due to the spring predictability barrier. "Current model guidance shows a transition from ENSO-neutral conditions to El Niño during the second half of 2026, with El Niño the most likely ENSO state through summer 2026/27. An intensifying El Niño, combined with rising temperatures driven by climate change, is expected to significantly increase the risk of very dry conditions."

Photo: Aqualinc Research.

March 2026: Dr Philip George has been a part of New Zealand's CAR-T journey from the beginning, helping establish the ENABLE phase 1 trial, and now helping lead its phase 2 successor.

Having trained in the United Kingdom, where CAR T-cell therapy is standard of care for certain blood cancer, Phil is determined that New Zealanders gain access to the same life-changing technology here at home.

Clinical breakthroughs don't happen overnight; an enormous amount of work takes place behind the scenes. Scientists spend years refining and testing new cancer therapies, carefully building treatments that one day may change a patient's life. The journey from scientific discovery to treating a patient is rarely rapid.

In 2018, midway through his specialist training in haematology at the University Hospitals of Leicester in the United Kingdom, Phil was looking for an opportunity to gain experience in clinical research. Through a mutual connection he was introduced to Professor Robert Weinkove, Clinical Director at the Malaghan Institute and leader of the CAR T-cell programme.

Phil was soon recruited for a clinical research fellowship at the Malaghan Institute, flying half way around the world to help establish New Zealand's first CAR-T trial.

Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.

March 2026: Motu Research has formally requested removal from the Democracy Project's NZ Lobbying and Influence register, asserting that inclusion misrepresents the Motu Research's role and mission.

Motu Research is a charitable trust and is the leading independent economic research institute in Aotearoa New Zealand, conducting rigorous analysis without advocating specific ideologies or political positions. Founded on the principle that sound public policy requires evidence-based research and informed debate, Motu Research maintains strict independence from political and commercial interests.

"We believe strongly in the distinction between independent research and advocacy," says Motu's Executive Director, Dr John McDermott CRSNZ. "Our mission centres on producing objective analysis to inform public discourse, not influencing specific policy outcomes."

The Democracy Project's register lists organisations that allegedly engage in lobbying or wield influence over New Zealand's political landscape. Project coordinator Bryce Edwards acknowledges Motu Research differs from traditional lobbying entities but maintains the organisation belongs on a broader list of influential think tanks and institutions.

Photo: Edmond Dantès, Pexels.

March 2026: Who benefits when cities allow more housing? A new research project aims to answer that question - and Motu Research's Senior Fellow Stuart Donovan will help with the analysis.

Researchers at the University of Auckland have received a Marsden Fund grant to investigate the social and economic effects of large-scale zoning reforms. The project will examine the effects of upzoning (i.e. adopting planning rules that allow for more housing) on individuals.

The team, led by Associate Professor Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy and Peter Phillips, will study Auckland Council's Unitary Plan. Introduced in 2016, the plan upzoned about three-quarters of Auckland's residential land, leading to a surge in housing construction.

But a key question remains: who ultimately gains from these changes?

Motu's Stuart Donovan will contribute to the project's analytical work. He will help collate data, estimate models and translate the research findings into policy advice.

The research team will analyse how zoning reform reshapes neighbourhoods - including if upzoning helps individuals access high-opportunity areas or, alternatively, deepens existing inequalities. Understanding these effects matters. Where people live influences education, employment, and life chances. Robust evidence can help governments adopt housing policies that expands opportunity.

Photo: Louise Thomas.

March 2026: In 2025, the Food and Fibre Centre for Vocational Excellence (FFCoVE) commissioned Scarlatti to research the use of AI in education and test the viability of structured oral AI-driven assessment in partnership with Fruition. An article by Research Manager Zoe Morgan shares what happened next, and how Scarlatti's Vocina platform emerged from that work.

"Fruition was interested in exploring how AI could help them develop assessments that genuinely captured learners' understanding, not their ability to produce polished written work.

"Written assessments are familiar, but they don't always reveal how learners think. Capable learners sometimes struggle to express themselves in writing. Others refine and edit text in ways that mask gaps in understanding. At the same time, careful management is always required for grade moderation to achieve consistency across tutors.

"Fruition was not looking for shortcuts. They were looking to design accessible assessments that surface learners' authentic understandings while retaining strong moderation and tutor control."

Following initial research and testing, Scarlatti designed and built the Vocina platform to deliver structured oral assessment agents.

Image: Scarlatti.

March 2026: A new study from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) has found that adults with mild-to-moderate asthma who are already using regular inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) can achieve better control of airway inflammation by using the 2-in-1 combination budesonide-formoterol as their reliever inhaler.

The findings, published in February in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, come from the INFORM ASTHMA trial, a 26-week randomised controlled study involving 181 adults with asthma taking maintenance ICS therapy.

The trial compared the use of budesonide-formoterol as a reliever with terbutaline, a traditional short-acting reliever. Participants using budesonide-formoterol experienced a 20% reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a key marker of airway inflammation.

Dr Jonathan Noble, Principal Investigator of the INFORM ASTHMA trial and MRINZ Research Fellow, says the study provides new evidence for a simple and effective treatment strategy.

"This is the first randomised controlled trial to show that adults taking regular scheduled maintenance inhaled corticosteroids can safely use budesonide-formoterol as a reliever to directly reduce airway inflammation, the underlying disease process in asthma," says Dr Noble.

Image: MRINZ.

March 2026: The MRINZ has contributed to a major New Zealand study confirming that paracetamol and ibuprofen — the most widely prescribed or over-the-counter medicines for babies worldwide — are safe for use in the first year of life, providing reassurance to parents and health professionals managing pain and fever in infants.

The findings provide much-needed clarity after earlier studies raised concerns about a possible connection between early paracetamol use and childhood conditions such as eczema and asthma. The new research found no link between either medication and eczema or bronchiolitis, a common respiratory illness in infancy.

Almost 4,000 babies across New Zealand participated from birth. Half were randomised to receive paracetamol and half ibuprofen when needed, with researchers monitoring outcomes including eczema, asthma symptoms, and bronchiolitis. Serious side effects were rare, and none were caused by the medicines.

Professor Stuart Dalziel, MRINZ Children's Health lead, was a lead researcher on the project. He says, "Our study found that paracetamol and ibuprofen are incredibly safe to use in young children... These results give parents and health professionals high confidence to continue to use these important medications."

Photo: MRINZ.

March 2026: The Independent Research Association of New Zealand (IRANZ) is warning that proposed changes to the Building Research Levy could unintentionally weaken the scientific capability that underpins the safety and resilience of New Zealand homes and buildings.

The Government is reviewing the building and construction system, including a proposal to repeal the dedicated Building Research Levy and move building-related research into a fully contestable funding model. While reform is timely, IRANZ says removing the Levy without clear safeguards risks destabilising the long-term, independent research that keeps the system functioning.

"Contestable funding can deliver good short term outcomes," says IRANZ Chair Dr John McDermott, "but it cannot sustain the national building science capability that BRANZ has built over decades. Specialist laboratories, national testing facilities, long term datasets and expert teams require continuity and sustained investment over many years. If funding becomes short-term and uncertain, that capability can quietly erode."

For nearly 60 years, the Levy has helped sustain independent building science through the work of BRANZ. This includes seismic and fire research, moisture and durability testing, product assurance work, and tools used by councils, engineers, and builders to make safe decisions.

BRANZ Judgeford Research Facility. Photo: BRANZ.

March 2026: Professor Robert Weinkove, Clinical Director at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, writes that as a haematologist, one of the hardest conversations he has is telling someone that their blood cancer has come back, and that the treatments we usually rely on have stopped working.

A new kind of cancer treatment called 'chimeric antigen receptor' (CAR) T-cell therapy has transformed outcomes for some patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma or myeloma. First approved overseas in 2017, CAR T-cells are made by re-engineering a patient's own immune cells so they can recognise and attack cancer.

"The results can be remarkable. For some blood cancers, more than half of patients who had relapsed after multiple treatments went into complete remission. Many remain cancer-free years later."

CAR T-cell therapies are now publicly funded in Australia, the UK, and much of Europe. "Yet we have none here. Even New Zealanders who can overcome the cost and logistical barriers to travel overseas for CAR T can face long delays, which may mean losing the chance to benefit at all."

Professor Robert Weinkove, Clinical Director. Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.

March 2026: Cawthron Institute and Te Rūnaka o Awarua are advancing a new initiative focused on enhancing the resilience of tio, the iconic Bluff oyster, as a taoka (a treasured possession) species.

The 'Tio for Tomorrow' project brings together scientific expertise and kaitiaki leadership to support the restoration of wild tio populations in Te Ara-a-Kiwa, while laying foundations for a complementary hatchery capability that can strengthen long-term sustainability.

Land-based hatchery approaches provide a pathway to support both conservation and commercial outcomes. By improving genetic management, biosecurity procedures and technical capability, the initiative aims to help safeguard wild stocks of tio, building their resilience in the face of environmental pressures and restoring customary fisheries areas.

Cawthron and Awarua Rūnaka will engage with stakeholders to ensure strong whānau backing, robust governance structures and the development of reliable biosecurity approaches. This initiative is supported by Ngāi Tahu Seafood. Early pre-seed investment will enable taoka and intellectual property protection, financial modelling, social license development and technical procedure design.

Tio/Bluff Oyster - An iconic New Zealand seafood. Photo: Cawthron Institute.

February 2026: Another bumper issue of the IRANZ newsletter is out now. It's chock full of the latest independent science research news from around Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Malaghan: Sir Graham Le Gros awarded knighthood

• MRINZ: Trial confirms Bisoprolol safe for people with COPD

• Malaghan: Understanding germinal centres for better vaccines

• Gillies McIndoe: Antiparasitic may limit meningioma spread

• Mātai: Fellowship received to support diabetes screening study

• Motu: Pay gaps - an $18 billion a year issue

• Dragonfly Data Science: More than 11,000 slips across East Cape

• BRANZ: Building reform's quiet risk

• Cawthron: 'Chemical fingerprinting' uncovers greenhouse gas sources

• Lincoln Agritech enables AI-driven apple disease detection

• Bragato: Mapping and disabling Botrytis enzymes to protect wine quality

• . . . And much more.

Sir Graham and his team brought CAR T-cell therapy to New Zealand, leading to the country's first CAR T-cell clinical trial and laying the groundwork to make this advanced cancer therapy standard of care. Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.

February 2026: Follow the link for more details on the February 2026 news briefs from our Independent Research Organisations.

• LASRA Director Geoff Holmes appointed IULTCS President
• Malaghan: Ground-breaking cancer treatment within reach
• Gillies McIndoe Laboratory Manager receives international Lab Heroes Award
• Mātai: Medical research interns complete 10-week experience in Gisborne
• Cawthron seeks nominations for NZ's next Freshwater Champions
• Bragato: Breeding new hybrid grape varieties for New Zealand
• Malaghan's Homegrown Hope - Stuff's series on CAR T-cell therapy
• Motu Affiliate Livvy Mitchell graduates with PhD in Economics
• Falling Walls Lab comes to Aotearoa New Zealand
• Bragato: Planetary facts for New Zealand wine
• LASRA: How leather is becoming the next e-skin super material
• ...and much more.

LASRA Director Geoff Holmes takes over as the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) President for 2026-2027. Image: LASRA.

February 2026: Steel is one of the strongest alloys known to humankind. But even this formidable metal has a breaking point. WSP's structural testing team spend their days pushing materials like this to the limit and making sure built structures meet Aotearoa New Zealand's exacting performance standards.

A length of steel reinforcing bar (rebar) is clamped in the jaws of a gigantic industrial machine that can stretch and compress with awesome force.

Nearby is a reinforced concrete floor. Dotted with threaded sockets, the 'strong floor' has been specially designed so building materials and structures can be bolted down - twisted and torqued, bashed and thrashed.

Sitting in a corner is an unassuming hydraulic jack. Able to exert two hundred tonnes of force, it applies precise, high-pressure tension to steel wires, strands, and fibres.

Senior engineer for structural performance Cameron Moore and engineering performance technologist Michael Shanks have their hands full here year-round - testing incoming batches of steel, approving materials to meet safety and performance standards, and assessing rebar samples from bridges and buildings.

Photo: WSP.

February 2026: New Zealand's building and construction sector is entering its biggest shake up in decades. As we navigate through 2026, almost every part of the system is under review - how buildings are consented, how liability is shared, how risks are managed, and how consumers are protected. But not all changes under consideration sit at the centre of the debate, and the risks they carry can be easy to miss, as BRANZ CEO Claire Falck explains.

"Less visible, but no less important to our sector, are proposed changes to how building research is funded. The government plans to remove the dedicated Building Research Levy that has supported building research for nearly 60 years and replace it with a different funding mechanism.

"The aim is to achieve greater simplicity and more competition. BRANZ supports that direction. A more open, outward-looking research system is a good thing.

"But what has been proposed also deserves an honest, clear-eyed assessment of risk. Without that understanding, reforms designed to strengthen the building sector could instead weaken the independent, public-good building science capability that was created by industry and has taken nearly 60 years to build."

BRANZ CEO Claire Falck. Photo: BRANZ.

February 2026: A satellite map reveals the scale of devastation across the East Cape following the January 2026 storm, identifying more than 11,000 landslips, and silt damage covering an area of 900 hectares, as communities remain isolated due to road blockages.

Dragonfly Environmental Data Scientist Dr Yvan Richard and front-end developer Kusal Ekanayake developed the East Coast Slip Map to provide a region-wide overview of the damage, identifying visible evidence of landslides and silt movement by comparing satellite imagery taken before and after the storm.

Dr Finlay Thompson, Director of Data Science at Dragonfly, says that the goal was to create a clear, accessible, and large-scale snapshot of what happened across the area.

"Satellite imagery should be viewed as a crucial response tool in the aftermath of any disaster," says Finlay. "It provides a birds-eye view of the area following an intense and highly localised storm event such as this one, and allows for individual slips and silted areas to be identified."

"We hope this map helps build a clearer picture of how the landscape responded to the storm, supporting landowners, councils, and government agencies with the cleanup."

Image: Dragonfly Data Science.

February 2026: Professor Kjesten Wiig, Director, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, writes that for many people with aggressive blood cancers, CAR T-cell therapy represents something extraordinary: a second chance, when other options have run out. "Internationally, it's already changing lives. Here in New Zealand, we're closer than many people realise - but we're also at a critical point where momentum matters."

"At the Malaghan Institute, we're leading that progress. We've developed New Zealand's first CAR T-cell therapy, designed for our health system and people. We've successfully completed a phase 1 clinical trial and are well into phase 2 - treating more than 50 patients so far across New Zealand. This work is real, its tangible, and its already making a difference to people's lives.

"That's ground-breaking in itself. But what we're now trying to do is break new ground - by taking steps towards making CAR T-cell and other advanced therapies something New Zealanders can access through our public health system.

"Success means CAR T-cell therapy being available equitably to New Zealanders who need it, regardless of where they live or what they earn."

Professor Kjesten Wiig, Director, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Photo: Malaghan.

February 2026: In the January issue of Canterbury Farming, Aqualinc's Principal Environmental Management Consultant Matt Bubb talks about the recent changes for consenting in the RMA.

"The major overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA) introduces two replacement laws: the Planning Bill, focused on enabling development and land use, and the Natural Environment Bill, dealing with environmental protection and management.

"What will this mean for farmers? This is great news for farmers. One of the major benefits is that you'll need fewer consents.

"The idea is that more activities, such as farming land use, will largely become permitted activities. This will significantly reduce delays, red tape, and costs. Because no consent will likely be required farming, it is likely that more emphasis will be put on freshwater Farm Plans and the auditing process.

"As such, there is potential for compliance costs to increase, although this should not be significant compared to the costs that have been incurred with securing consents."

Image: Aqualinc/Canturbury Farming.

February 2026: Researchers at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute have reported new findings in Oncology Research suggesting that mebendazole - a long-established antiparasitic medicine - may help limit the spread of meningioma, the most common primary brain tumour.

Although many meningiomas grow slowly, some develop invasive behaviour linked to higher recurrence rates and poorer patient outcomes. This has driven the search for therapies that can curb tumour spread as well as growth.

Using patient-derived meningioma cells grown in advanced 3D culture models, the research team found that mebendazole prevented invasive behaviour in most samples tested. The results indicate the drug may work by disrupting internal cellular structures that cancer cells rely on to move into surrounding tissue.

While further investigation is required, the researchers say the findings are encouraging. With its known safety profile, high tolerability, and low cost, mebendazole could be a strong candidate for repurposing as a meningioma treatment. The study adds to international efforts to identify safer, more accessible cancer therapies through drug repurposing.

Two of the report authors from Gillies McIndoe, Matthew Munro and Clara López Vásquez. Photo: Gillies McIndoe.

February 2026: The Gisborne Herald (21 January) reported that Mātai Medical Research Institute senior research associate Dr Tim Salmond has been awarded a 2026 Health Research Council of New Zealand Clinical Research Training Fellowship.

The fellowship will support Tim's PhD research, centred on a randomised clinical trial known as "Decode". The study will examine whether adding real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to a diabetes self-management education (DSME) programme can improve diabetes control and key health markers for people living with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes has a significant impact on Tairāwhiti whānau, with Māori and Pasifika often diagnosed earlier and experiencing greater health burdens. The Decode trial will include detailed assessments not typically available in the public health system, including MRI scans to measure organ fat, a modified glucose tolerance test, and metabolic testing at rest and during exercise.

The research team will also evaluate cost-effectiveness, building evidence to inform future funding decisions around CGM use in DSME programmes.

Dr Tim Salmond, left, with Tom Gerlach, performing an exercise test at the cardiometabolic lab at Mātai in Gisborne. Tim has been awarded a fellowship to support his PhD research into diabetes. Photo: Mātai.

February 2026: A new study led by LASRA director Geoff Holmes is using Digital Twin technology to better understand how wet-end chemistry influences the physical behaviour of leather during drying. By moving beyond traditional trial-and-error methods, the research demonstrates how virtual modelling can predict structural outcomes in hides before processing begins.

The team focused on a phenomenon they call "hygroscopic memory" - the tendency of collagen fibres to retain moisture based on specific chemical conditions during neutralisation. Using a proprietary Vapour Barrier Index (VBI), the study identified pH 5.7 as a critical point where structural changes occur within the collagen matrix.

Trials on New Zealand steer hide showed that samples neutralised at pH 5.7 retained 10.2% more water than controls. The Digital Twin model flagged this as a high "stall risk", where moisture becomes unevenly trapped, complicating drying, staking, and milling.

The findings offer tanners a predictive tool to optimise drying energy use and achieve more consistent moisture distribution during the crust stage.

Image: LASRA.

February 2026: Bolt inspections might seem like a small part of a construction project, but they play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and safety of steel structures. Traditionally, these inspections are done manually, often relying on paper-based records and visual checks. While this approach has worked for decades, it can be slow, inconsistent, and vulnerable to human error.

For their final-year engineering project, a team of AUT students set out to change that. Their goal was to modernise bolt inspections using Computer Vision and Augmented Reality (AR). They wanted to create a tool that didn't just digitise the process but genuinely improved it, making inspections faster, more reliable, and easier to document. By combining real-time bolt detection with on-screen guidance through AR, the team aimed to give inspectors a smarter way to work, one that reduces human error while enhancing safety and quality assurance on site.

The students' final-year research project was supervised by Dr Kien Tran from AUT and Drs Michail Karpenko and Hafez Taheri from HERA, and was showcased at the AUT BCIS Student Showcase 2025 on 6 November. The Project team members were Chloe Kua, Gio Hanns Turtal, John Miguel Maranan, Mardiliza Lay, and Shushmita Paul. Photo: HERA.

February 2026: Researchers from Bragato Research Institute (BRI) and Victoria University of Wellington are investigating the genetic diversity of Botrytis cinerea and the laccase enzymes it produces - key contributors to wine spoilage. Annabel Whibley and Ngarita Warden (BRI), alongside Wayne Patrick (VUW), are combining genome sequencing and biochemical analysis to understand how these enzymes vary between strains and how they might be removed during winemaking.

In a pilot study, samples from six vineyards across Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Marlborough yielded 11 distinct B. cinerea strains. The BRI team sequenced each genome to map diversity across New Zealand vineyards. Meanwhile, the VUW team purified a major laccase from infected Gisborne Chardonnay fruit and modelled its atomic structure to predict how strain-specific differences affect enzyme behaviour.

With their pipeline established, the researchers are expanding sampling in 2026 and are calling for botrytised fruit from vineyards nationwide to better understand regional and varietal differences and guide future management strategies.

Botrytis cinerea is a fungus causing rot in grapes, leading to yield and quality losses, particularly in humid conditions. Photo: Bragato.

February 2026: A major international study has found the beta-blocker bisoprolol is safe for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), challenging long-held concerns about its use in this group.

COPD is a leading cause of hospital admissions in New Zealand. Many people with COPD die from cardiovascular disease as often as from their lung condition, making effective heart treatment essential. Yet patients with COPD have often been excluded from cardiovascular trials, leaving uncertainty about the safety of common therapies.

Beta-blockers were traditionally considered unsuitable for COPD, despite observational evidence suggesting they may reduce mortality and hospitalisations.

The two-year, multicentre randomised controlled PACE trial, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, shows that bisoprolol, a cardio-selective beta-blocker, can be used safely in people with COPD. While no additional benefit was seen across the broad study population, the findings highlight the need for further research to identify which patients may benefit most.

Professor Richard Beasley, MRINZ Director, says the trial provides important evidence to guide safe, evidence-based care for people with both COPD and heart disease.

Photo: MRINZ.

February 2026: An updated analysis by David Maré, Senior Fellow at Motu Research, highlights the scale of New Zealand's gender and ethnic pay gaps, estimating they represent up to $20 billion a year in unequal earnings.

Using updated Statistics New Zealand data from June 2025, the research shows women's median hourly pay ($33.76) remains 5.2% lower than men's ($35.62). When measured using average pay rates — which better capture disparities at higher incomes — the gap widens to $3.75 per hour. Equalising average pay would increase women's earnings by $7.8 billion annually, around 4.2% of all wages paid in 2025.

The research also reveals substantial ethnic pay gaps. Compared with NZ European/Pākehā men, Māori, Pacific, and Asian workers earn markedly less on average, with wāhine Māori and Pacific women facing combined gender and ethnic gaps exceeding 20%.

Even after accounting for factors such as education, age, occupation, and location, a gap of $14.1 billion remains. Evidence shows that within-firm pay practices play a major role, suggesting employers have significant scope to reduce inequities through transparent and structured pay systems.

Photo: Clay Banks, UnSplash.

February 2026: A new LASRA SSIF Platform project is transforming a common leather-processing waste into a high-value resource for energy storage technologies. The focus is on chrome shavings, a biomass-rich byproduct, which are being repurposed into ultra-thin films for use in advanced energy-storage components.

Rather than relying on costly chemical treatments, the project takes advantage of the material's naturally crosslinked structure, offering a more sustainable and efficient pathway for material preparation. To date, researchers have successfully produced eleven chrome-shaving-based film formulations. In-house physical and thermal characterisation has been completed, while advanced Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) experiments were undertaken at SOLEIL in France.

Preliminary results are promising. Most films achieved consistent thicknesses of under 20 nanometres, and mechanical and thermal properties were comparable across formulations. Importantly, the preparation method shows strong potential for scale-up.

Ongoing work includes detailed SAXS data modelling and electrochemical testing by collaborators at Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), with a decision pending on further SANS analysis.

SOLEIL synchrotron facility in France. Photo: Synchrotron Soleil.

February 2026: A Cawthron scientist and his collaborators have developed a cutting-edge method to better understand where the powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O) comes from in aquatic environments — and it might change how we think about sources of climate pollution.

Cawthron Algal Biotechnologist Dr Maxence Plouviez and the interdisciplinary team behind a new study published in Biogeosciences have shown for the first time that microalgae and cyanobacteria — tiny organisms that live in water — leave distinct isotopic 'fingerprints' in the nitrous oxide they produce. This means researchers can now begin to untangle how much of this pollutant comes from algae versus other microorganisms.

"This breakthrough gives us a tool to trace where nitrous oxide is coming from in complex aquatic environments," says Dr Plouviez, "It opens the door to more accurate greenhouse-gas accounting and, eventually, improved mitigation strategies."

Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas and contributor to ozone depletion, with far more warming potential per molecule than carbon dioxide. Until now, scientists have struggled to distinguish N₂O made by microalgae from the gas produced by other organisms such as bacteria in aquatic ecosystems.

A researcher examines cyanobacteria under a microscope. Photo: Cawthron Institute.

January 2026: Research from the Malaghan Institute and the Babraham Institute in the United Kingdom has offered new insights into germinal centres, immune hubs where infection-fighting antibodies are made. Published in Science Immunology, the findings add an important layer of understanding into the resilience of germinal centres, and the role of individual immune cells in helping maintain a robust and long-lasting immune response to infectious threats, with implications for future vaccine design.

Grant Kennedy, a Senior Data Scientist working within Dr Michelle Linterman's lab at the Malaghan Institute, says they set out to look more deeply into the role of helper T-cells in germinal centres using cutting-edge bioinformatics and genetic tools.

"In germinal centres, B-cells are trained to become antibody secreting cells that can stop pathogens through the production of highly specific antibodies. This process is helped by T-cells, in particular, helper T-cells. We know that the germinal centre response depends on these helper T-cells but how they do this in germinal centres is not well understood.

“In our research we targeted the helper T-cells using gene-editing tools, deleting them in the middle of the germinal centre response to an infection...”

Photo: CDC, Unsplash.

January 2026: Dr Yusmiati Liau of Bragato Research Institute writes that a recent pilot study has identified moderate resistance to several key fungicide groups in grapevine powdery mildew populations in Marlborough and Hawke's Bay, highlighting the need for careful resistance management in New Zealand vineyards.

Powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) remains a major challenge for grape growers, with even minor infections affecting wine quality. Dr Liau explains that while multi-site fungicides such as sulphur and copper are less prone to resistance, modern single-site fungicides are more vulnerable because the pathogen can adapt through small genetic changes.

The 2025 study, conducted with the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science, combined traditional fungicide sensitivity testing with molecular diagnostics. The results showed widespread resistance in Marlborough vineyards, while resistance levels in Hawke's Bay were mixed.

Dr Liau notes that newer fungicides remain effective but stresses that rotation between fungicide groups and ongoing monitoring are essential to maintain their long-term effectiveness.

Photo: Bragato Research Institute.

January 2026: A new evaluation by Motu Economic and Public Policy Research of the Government's Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) finds the scheme is having a positive impact on business investment in research and development and delivering significant economic benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand.

This is the first major independent assessment of the RDTI since its introduction in 2019. The evaluation shows that for every $1 of government spending through the incentive, firms invested an additional $1.40 in R&D. The resulting increase in R&D activity is estimated to have generated a $6.77 billion impact on New Zealand's GDP, equivalent to around 4.2 times the level of government investment.

Quantitative analysis found that firms supported by the RDTI spent more on R&D than they would have otherwise, with stronger effects observed among smaller firms. Qualitative evidence indicates that most businesses experienced positive impacts on R&D activity and wider business outcomes. Firms with international operations also reported that the RDTI plays an important role in attracting and retaining R&D work in New Zealand.

Photo: Matt Crawford, Auckland Bioengineering Institute.

January 2026: Crop pests and diseases remain one of agriculture's most costly challenges, responsible for more than $360 billion in losses each year globally.

In New Zealand, a threat to apple growers is bull's-eye rot, a fungal disease that infects fruit during the growing season but remains invisible until post-harvest, affecting stored and eventually shipped fruit.

Detecting it only in the target markets results in significant financial and reputational losses.

With New Zealand's apple exports reaching a record $1 billion in 2025, early detection is crucial but has been impossible with conventional sensing technology.

As part of the STELLA Horizon Europe project, Lincoln Agritech is piloting a new approach in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand's largest apple-growing region.

The team has deployed automated spore samplers, UAV, and satellite imagery to monitor environmental conditions, canopy features and pathogen activity. These data streams will feed into STELLA's AI-powered risk models which could complement New Zealand models on this disease.

Photo: Lincoln Agritech.

January 2026: "My research focuses on how immune cells within the lung organise themselves into structures known as tertiary lymphoid structures," says Dr Kit Moloney-Geany, who works in Dr Kerry Hilligan's Lab at the Malaghan Institute. "They share many similarities to lymph nodes, helping drive adaptive immune responses within the lung tissue. Our interest is on how these structures form and what influence they have on disease outcomes."

Tertiary lymphoid structures are small clusters of immune cells that form in tissues outside the lymph system - where B-cells and T-cells are called in and put to work. This is unusual, as typically the coordination of B- and T-cells takes place within lymph nodes - designated sites around the body like the armpit, groin or neck that act as coordination hubs for immune responses.

Whenever there is damage to cells, whether by bacteria, virus or other assault, we see inflammation - the first step in overcoming any threat. And where there is inflammation, we find tertiary lymphoid structures forming like barnacles on a ship.

Dr Kit Moloney-Geany is investigating one of the immune system's oddities - tiny lymph node-like structures that pop up in response to inflammation and may hold important clues to how we fight disease. Photo: Malaghan Institute.

January 2026: Do you know an individual or community making an outstanding contribution to the health of our freshwater environments?

Cawthron Institute has opened nominations for Freshwater Champions — a biennial event that recognises those creating positive change for rivers, lakes, wetlands and estuaries across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Delivered as part of its philanthropic programme, the Freshwater Champions event aims to raise awareness about the importance of freshwater health, celebrate on-the-ground restoration efforts, and share examples of action and innovation from across the country. Winners will be announced at a celebratory event in Nelson this August.

Nominations will be assessed by an independent panel of scientists with expertise in freshwater health and management. Assessment criteria include the freshwater-related challenges being addressed, on-the-ground actions and achievements, how the initiative encourages others, future-focused planning, and demonstrating leadership and equity. Not all criteria must be met to be nominated.

Image: Cawthron Institute.

January 2026: Bragato Research Institute's (BRI) Alice Oswald and Kate Meyer write about their partnership with the Planetary Accounting Network (PAN) and 16 other organisations across New Zealand's Food & Fibre sector to pilot a new environmental assessment and labelling system, developed by PAN, called Planetary Facts.

The wine industry, like many others, faces growing market and regulatory demands for evidence of environmental performance. New Zealand's wine industry has long been a sustainability pioneer, with SWNZ among the world's first wine sustainability programmes. Today, SWNZ provides a strong foundation for environmental oversight, tracking key indicators. Yet many producers still struggle to translate those numbers into decisions, marketing stories, or export evidence. Trade-offs between impacts are complex — for example, reducing carbon while increasing water use. Without a scientific benchmark for what 'good' looks like, it can be difficult to stand out.

There is compelling evidence that environmental performance influences business and consumer purchasing decisions. However, customers are often confused by environmental claims due to the sheer number of eco-labels on the market, and limited comparability and transparency, among other things.

Photo: Bragato Research Institute.

January 2026: Sir Graham Le Gros has been promoted to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medical science in the 2026 New Year Honours, acknowledging a legacy that has fundamentally shaped New Zealand's ability to respond to major health challenges, build sustainable research capacity, and give Kiwis early access to ground-breaking treatments.

Sir Graham served as director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research from 1994 until the end of 2024, and continues his service to the institute as deputy chair. Over three decades of leadership, he transformed the independent charity into a world-class centre for immunology and biomedical innovation, undertaking cutting-edge research across cancer, infectious disease, autoimmune, allergy and inflammatory conditions.

Chair of the Malaghan Institute, Sir Paul Collins, says the honour is richly deserved and reflects a lifetime of service that has led to improved health outcomes, strengthened national capability, and inspired public confidence in science.

Sir Graham and his team brought CAR T-cell therapy to New Zealand, leading to the country's first CAR T-cell clinical trial and laying the groundwork to make this advanced cancer therapy standard of care. Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.

January 2026: New Zealand's low-grade wool is finding new life in unexpected places, from air filters and pigments to textiles and now, nail care.

The team at Lincoln Agritech is working to transform low-value biological resources into high-value, commercially viable products.

Its latest success story is a collaboration with "Dr. Tom Nail Care", a New Zealand-made nail hardener that uses keratin extracted from low-grade wool to help harden and protect nails.

The idea came from Dr Tom Cawood, a hospital doctor and classical guitarist, who was looking for a natural solution to brittle nails, a common problem for guitarists.

Group Manager for New Materials and Biotechnology at Lincoln Agritech, Dr Rob Kelly, and his team, have spent years deconstructing and rebuilding keratin structures, such as wool and nails, and using that knowledge to create high value applications.

For this project, their innovation was using keratin from wool to create a model nail system that accurately represented real nails but was able to be easily measured and tested. This approach allowed the team to measure improvements in nail strength and validate the product's performance.

Photo: Lincoln Agritech.

January 2026: From low-cost granny flat designs to AI-powered tools, 22 new projects will share $11.5 million in Building Research Levy funding, driving innovation and affordability for New Zealand's buildings.

A Building Research Levy of 0.1% is collected from all building consents over $20,000. Every year, it's invested into industry-led contestable funding for universities, industry groups, and researchers to deliver practical solutions to reduce costs, lift quality, and improve resilience and sustainability in Kiwi buildings.

A key priority is housing affordability, with 13 projects this year focused on lowering building, maintenance, and living costs, improving efficiency, and delivering more affordable housing options.

Decisions on where to invest the Building Research Levy are guided by the Research Investment Advisory Group, an independent panel of sector experts.

"Industry leadership in building research decisions is critical," says Paul Campbell, representing Engineering NZ and Chair of the Research Investment Advisory Group. "These projects were chosen through a rigorous process to deliver tools and outcomes that make a tangible difference for the sector."

Photo: BRANZ.

January 2026: For his final-year engineering project, AUT student Matthew Barrett set out to answer a deceptively simple question: What if the markings, notes, and cues fabricators already use could be captured digitally without changing the way they work?

The idea was sparked a year earlier during an AUT scholarship programme that took Matthew through advanced manufacturing sites and research centres in India and Malaysia. What stood out to him wasn't just the machinery.

"I found it fascinating to see how physical work, planning decisions, quality checks, and digital records all flowed together as one process," he says. "Seeing how those environments made industrial processes feel integrated and natural left a strong impression on me."

Back in New Zealand, an opportunity arose to explore similar ideas with HERA. At first, he approached the project from a traditional angle of industrial traceability. But after spending time on workshop floors and observing how coordination actually happens, the challenge crystallised into something more practical: digitise what already works.

Matthew's final-year research project was supervised by Dr Junior Nomani at AUT and Drs Michail Karpenko and Hafez Taheri at HERA, and was showcased at the AUT Engineering Student Showcase 2025 on 30 October. Photo: HERA.