Year Book 2021

SCION
NESTLED ON THE
EDGE OF Rotorua’s
Whakarewarewa
Forest is one of
Rotorua’s largest
employers, going
about the business
of developing some of New Zealand’s
most innovative technologies for
the forestry, wood products and
biomaterials industries.
Once tucked out of sight, Scion now
welcomes the public onto the campus
following the opening of its showcase
building Te Whare Nui o Tuteata.
As one of seven Crown research
institutes, Scion’s job is to drive
innovation and growth from the forestry,
wood products and biomaterials sectors
to build economic value and contribute
environmental and social benefits for
New Zealand.
We sit on the world stage when it comes
to scientific endeavour says Scion CEO
Dr Julian Elder. “Through our innovation
hub we aim to excite and educate
people about the possibilities for the
future from forests and wood, and we
want to show how Scion is creating
solutions to some of the world’s big
challenges.”
Planted forests are an important
worldwide resource that can provide
solutions to many global problems such
as rising greenhouse gas emissions,
access to clean water, unsustainable
land use and dependence on finite
fossil fuels. Forestry is recognised
globally as a key part of a low-carbon,
biobased economy. A bioeconomy
uses renewable resources like forests in
the manufacture of new products and
energy, and when the waste from one
process becomes the input into another
process, a cycle is created.
Scion’s strategic goal is quite clear –
transitioning New Zealand to a circular
bioeconomy. The institute works closely
with industry, government and Māori
on research programmes that lead to
this goal. Among exciting examples that
Scion is leading are bark biorefinery
technologies that can convert millions of
tonnes of bark into high value materials
and products; a national roadmap for the
future of bioplastics; a biofuels roadmap
for New Zealand; and biobased additive
manufacturing to create waste-free,
environmentally-friendly materials and
products such as medical devices.
Such biotechnologies developed at
Scion are part of the growing global
bioeconomy and are an exciting
prospect for the New Zealand forest
industry.
“We are championing transformation
along the entire forestry value chain,”
says Dr Elder. “Forestry offers huge
potential for New Zealand, nationally and
regionally. In my opinion, the potential
is larger than what was offered when
refrigerated shipping began nearly
140 years ago. The impact of that was
tremendous and led to our trade in
frozen meat and dairy products.”
Scion has been an integral part of the
Rotorua community for over 100 years,
starting out as a forest nursery servicing a
government afforestation programme in
the late 1800s.
To find more about Scion and the work
it does go to www.scionresearch.com or
the innovation building – open daily to
the public.
WWW.SCIONRESEARCH.COM
SCION’S SHOWCASE BUILDING
TE WHARE NUI O TUTEATA
58 | YEARBOOK 2021