Bay of Plenty Business News Year Book 2023

TE WHARE NUI O TUTEATA
SCION RISES TO CLIMATE
CHANGE CHALLENGE
CLIMATE CHANGE
AND ITS EFFECTS
are at the forefront
of minds nationwide
and globally following
Cyclones Gabrielle and
Hale. Long-standing
Crown Research Institute Scion is rising to
the climate change challenge.
Scion is one of seven Crown Research
Institutes carrying out research for the
benefit of New Zealand. It has a key role
to play in transitioning New Zealand to
a circular bioeconomy. This includes
low emissions manufacturing, new
approaches to sustainable land use and
healthy prosperous communities.
The Rotorua-based institute is leading
the way with research that supports the
growth of our forestry sector and the
development of new technologies using
trees and other renewable materials to
create environmentally friendly products.
ENERGY & RESOURCES MINISTER HON.
MEGAN WOODS, SENIOR SCIENTIST DR SUREN
WIJEYEKOON, AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR
FORESTS TO BIOBASED PRODUCTS FLORIAN
GRAICHEN CELEBRATED WITH ECOGAS AT THE
OPENING OF THEIR BIOENERGY
PLANT FOLLOWING SCION’S
PILOT-LEVEL RESEARCH.
SCION CHIEF EXECUTIVE
JULIAN ELDER
“Climate change poses big challenges
but it is also an opportunity to do things
differently, take action and adopt
circular bioeconomy approaches,” chief
executive Dr Julian Elder says.
Scion’s work aims to both mitigate climate
change and create prosperity from this
disruption. Scion’s Strategy to 2030 is all
about making the most of the massive
renewable resource on our doorstep
– the forests and forestry that provide
multiple benefits for New Zealand.
The forestry and wood processing
sector is a key economic contributor. In
2021 it contributed $6.7 billion in export
earnings. “Forests will be at the heart of a
low-carbon biological-based future and
will reduce greenhouse gas emissions
on a scale unmatched by any current
technologies,” Elder says.
Research highlights across the
organisation so far this year have
included research into new bio resources
for packaging and waste, a colourchanging
and flexible 4D printing
filament, development of an algorithm to
help predict plant embryo germination
success and using waste textiles to
reinforce roading.
Scion is also tackling issues that would
help us move towards a circular
bioeconomy and mitigate climate change
such as research to introduce cleaner
technologies into the shipping industry,
pilot-level research that culminated in
Ecogas launching New Zealand’s first
commercial scale plant to turn food
waste into low-carbon bioenergy , and
developing biodegradable nursery pots
as an alternative to the estimated 350
million plastic pots used in New Zealand
nurseries each year.
This year, Scion has continued to drive
innovation and growth from New
Zealand’s forestry, wood product and
wood derived materials and other
biomaterial sectors to create economic
value and contribute to beneficial
environment and social outcomes for
New Zealand, Elder says.
“A forest-based circular bioeconomy is a
$30 billion annual economic opportunity
and our science and research will lead
the transition to a circular bioeconomy
and put New Zealand firmly on track to
a sustainable, productive, and inclusive
low-carbon future.”
Scion has a reputation as a world leader
in forest industry and wider bioeconomy
research and technology development.
It has more than 350 staff across its
headquarters in Rotorua and offices in
Christchurch and Wellington.
WWW.SCIONRESEARCH.COM
38 | YEAR BOOK 2023