Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere. Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao. 

The bird who partakes of the miro berry, theirs is the forest. The bird who partakes of knowledge, the World belongs to them. 

The Bioeconomy Science Institute is excited to be hosting the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiscovery Platform.  

Aotearoa New Zealand has a wealth of unique flora and fauna, many of which also have unique properties. The variety of plants found on our native islands may hold the raw materials needed for new drugs, foods and industrial chemicals. 

The Biodiscovery Platform is an investment by the New Zealand Government to accelerate the development of new products from Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique biological resources. 

Through the Biodiscovery Platform, researchers, Māori enterprises and industry will work together to build new partnerships and provide market analysis to guide the development of new pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, functional foods and biomaterials for overseas markets. Through this work, innovative product development will be supported from discovery to application.  

The New Zealand Government is investing $42.8 million over seven years in the platform, to be led by the Bioeconomy Science Institute. 

The Biodiscovery Platform is under development, with initial engagement with partners expected in the first half of 2026.