Five innovative AI research concepts have been shortlisted to establish Aotearoa’s first national platform for artificial intelligence research – and we’re proud that many of the organisations involved are part of our connected tech ecosystem.
The platform, backed by the newly established Institute for Advanced Technology with up to $70 million over seven years, aims to accelerate AI innovation, strengthen research-industry partnerships, and support the growth of high-tech businesses across Aotearoa.
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti announced the selections today, describing them as “an exciting first step to significantly lift our AI capabilities, fast-track commercialisation and create new opportunities for New Zealanders.”
This is a significant moment for our ecosystem. The calibre and diversity of these shortlisted concepts showcase the depth of AI expertise we have across Aotearoa – spanning our universities, research organisations, and industry leaders. We’ve been privileged to support many of these teams as they prepared their applications, and we’re excited to see what they’ll develop over the coming months.
Each concept will receive $250,000 in seed funding to develop detailed proposals for further assessment. The final platform selection is expected in the first half of 2026, with full funding commencing from July 2026.
The Shortlisted Concepts
BioAI Platform: Accelerating Export-Led Growth From New Zealand’s Bioeconomy
Led by the Bioeconomy Science Institute, the BioAI Platform harnesses artificial intelligence and Aotearoa’s world-leading bioscience expertise to drive practical innovation in agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry – industries central to our prosperity.
This initiative brings together scientists, businesses, and Māori partners to co-create new tools for real-world challenges, from labour shortages and pest threats to climate resilience and premium export requirements. Aotearoa’s connected research-industry ecosystem and diverse landscapes make us the ideal place where world-class AI solutions can be rapidly developed, tested, refined, and scaled before going global.
Imagine robots that remove weeds with pinpoint precision, AI predicting fish health issues before they spread, or tools helping farmers adapt to changing weather – all pioneered here and exported to the world. By connecting research excellence with business know-how and industry needs, the BioAI Platform drives the creation of high-skilled jobs, innovative startups, and stronger export industries.
With $70M, the Platform targets a 12:1 return – $840M in direct impact plus billions more in protected exports and market access, positioning the BioAI Platform as Aotearoa’s launchpad for growth, jobs, and global influence in the AI-powered bioeconomy.
Aotearoa Institute for Autonomous Intelligence: AI Autonomy at the Edge
Led by Earth Sciences New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington, the Aotearoa Institute for Autonomous Intelligence (AIAI) will transform our nation into a global testbed for advanced AI and autonomous systems – driving high-value exports, creating innovation-led jobs, and future-proofing our economy.
Leveraging our unique environment – vast oceans, rugged terrain, and extreme weather – AIAI will develop resilient, adaptable AI that excels where others falter. This powerhouse consortium brings together Aotearoa’s top research talent, deep-tech innovators, and industry leaders, demonstrating the commercial and innovative strength of our tech ecosystem.
AIAI will invest in three sector-specific innovation tracks, starting with aerospace and marine, to accelerate research-to-commercialisation and open new pathways. By proving technologies in Aotearoa’s toughest conditions, they’ll unlock solutions for agriculture, logistics, energy, and environmental monitoring – broadening economic activity and strengthening national resilience.
The vision is bold: AIAI as Aotearoa’s AI epicentre, attracting global talent, investors, and partners. They’ll build a world-class talent pipeline, connect local expertise with international networks, and ensure advanced AI research benefits communities and businesses nationwide.
Aotearoa Agentic AI Platform: A Productivity Multiplier
Led by the University of Auckland, the Aotearoa Agentic Artificial Intelligence Platform (AAAIP) has an ambitious vision: augment our population of 5 million New Zealanders with 100 million AI assistants, creating a wealthier and fairer country.
AI assistants, or ‘agents’, can carry out tasks like diagnosing illness in collaboration with clinicians, predicting risk of fungal disease in an orchard, or automating drug discovery. However, to grasp the Agentic AI opportunity, Aotearoa needs to create the next generation of smart agents while upskilling our country to use them effectively.
Currently, AI agents wait for human inputs. The next generation will learn and maintain themselves by actively seeking and evaluating data and observing the physical world. These are the agents the AAAIP will deliver, in collaboration with industry.
The platform will develop agentic simulations of Aotearoa to test AI agents and related policies for reliability, efficiency, and alignment with our values before they’re tested in the real world, based on world-leading NZ capability in large-scale agentic simulations. Processes will be embedded in agent design and testing to ensure AI agents are trustworthy contributors to our organisations, industries and societies.
Aotearoa Creative Artificial Intelligence Research Institute
Led by Academy Award-winning Wētā FX, the Aotearoa Creative Artificial Intelligence Research Institute will position Aotearoa to capture a multi-billion-dollar global market opportunity while creating new highly skilled jobs and enabling technology companies with essential AI services New Zealand businesses need to stay competitive.
The Institute will position Aotearoa at the forefront of AI innovation – developing breakthrough technology in computer vision, generative models, digital twins, physically plausible datasets and AI rights management. Wētā FX’s 30 years of pioneering research into digitally recreating the physical world uniquely positions the Institute to lead the next decade of creative and physical AI research, where understanding and generating physically plausible worlds becomes critical across industries from robotics to digital twins.
These capabilities, built through seven years of substantial private R&D investment in AI, will be shared with Aotearoa’s research and business communities, multiplying their economic impact. Universities would gain access to production-scale datasets and infrastructure for training world-class AI researchers. Startups could build on proven AI frameworks and tools, accelerating time to market. Established companies could access creative and physical AI to apply to their own challenges – improving medical imaging, optimising manufacturing processes, and advancing environmental research.
Physical AI for Real-World Systems
Two strong concepts – Physical AI led by the University of Waikato and the New Zealand AI Platform led by the University of Canterbury – have been invited to prepare a single joint proposal that combines their complementary strengths in delivering AI that works in complex outdoor and industrial environments.
Physical AI will help Aotearoa lead the world in intelligent systems that can sense, learn, and act outdoors – on farms, in forests, on worksites, and along our coasts. The platform will build a shared, open infrastructure including low-power AI for sensors, drones, and robots; a network of real-world test sites; clear safety and certification playbooks; and regular software releases that businesses can use and build on.
The New Zealand AI Platform brings deep expertise in creating AI tools that genuinely work in Aotearoa’s most challenging and changing environments – our farms, forests, coasts, hospitals, factories, and communities. It will trial new ideas in real settings to quickly move innovations from early research to useful tools, supporting the growth of new high-tech companies and future-focused jobs.
Together, these programmes promise tangible benefits: higher productivity and export earnings, reduced chemical use through precision application, safer workplaces as machines take on hazardous tasks, and better environmental monitoring and resilience. Both are co-governed with Māori and embed Māori data sovereignty and tikanga from the start to ensure trusted adoption and shared benefit.
The combined platform will invest in people – training Masters and PhD students, offering industry placements, and supporting new start-ups – so high-value jobs and know-how grow in Aotearoa.
Looking Ahead
Dr Reti also announced the inaugural Institute for Advanced Technology Board. Steve O’Connor will serve as Establishment Chair for six months, supported by board members Professor Cather Simpson, Professor Greg O’Grady, and Arama Kukutai.
“By embracing AI as a catalyst for sustainable growth, national competitiveness, and long-term prosperity, New Zealand can lead, not follow, in the global digital economy,” Dr Reti said.
This initiative represents a crucial investment in our technological capability and economic future. The collaboration between researchers, businesses, and communities that these concepts represent demonstrates exactly how individual strengths become collective momentum – strengthening Aotearoa’s position as a leader in AI innovation.
We’re committed to continuing our support for the tech ecosystem throughout this process, and we look forward to celebrating the final platform selection next year.
For more information about the NZIAT AI Platform, visit MBIE >