Key Notes – Boosting Science and Innovation

OPENING CLEARVIEW SCHOOL

The Prime Minister and Amy Adams MP with schoolchildren and staff at Clearview Primary School in Rolleston, near Christchurch, for the school's official opening yesterday. See more photos of the PM on his Facebook page

BOOSTING SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

Science and innovation are important. They're one of the keys to growing our economy, raising wages, and providing the world-class public services that Kiwi families need. I'm determined to make New Zealand science more effective.

Lifting the profile of science

On Tuesday - at the Stardome Observatory and Planetarium in Auckland - I met some of our most brilliant scientists. I was there to announce the first Prime Minister's Science Prizes, a $1 million annual prize pool we introduced in last year's Budget. Our scientists are doing some great research and these prizes will help raise the profile of their work.

The top award, the Prime Minister's Science Prize, went to a research team from Industrial Research Limited for its world-leading work on high temperature superconductors. Other prizes went to the country's top science teacher, a young scientist embarking on scientific study, an emerging scientist at PhD level, and a science communicator. Click here to learn more.

Encouraging innovation in food

New Zealand's export base relies on our food and beverage industries. We want to encourage them to create more value from their products and boost our economy. That's why, yesterday, Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee announced that we are investing $21 million to set up a network of open-access food development facilities around the country.

Smaller businesses in the food industry need access to equipment that helps them develop, test, and prove new products, but it's often not economic for firms to build their own facilities. The Food Innovation Network will be a collaboration with industry, research and education providers, and local government. It will help provide the facilities our food businesses need to grow.

Improving Crown Research Institutes

Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) can be powerful engines of growth. We want them to deliver greater benefits for New Zealand and get more research and knowledge into our businesses. Last week a taskforce on CRIs reported to the Government. It's been looking at how we can get more value out of the investment we make in scientific research. We'll be responding to the taskforce's report soon.

In February I announced that science and innovation will be a priority for new government spending. We'll have more to say about that in the Budget.

Feeding the world - and tackling carbon emissions

Last Wednesday in Palmerston North I launched the Government's Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Centre with Agriculture Minister David Carter. The centre will work to find practical ways of helping Kiwi farmers and growers cut carbon emissions. It will make a big contribution to the New Zealand-led Global Research Alliance which is due to hold its first meeting in Wellington in April.

New Zealand is a leader in agricultural science. With the centre and the Global Alliance, we have a great opportunity to pool our expertise with other countries, and help feed the world's growing population - while tackling carbon emissions.

LIFTING ACHIEVEMENT IN TERTIARY EDUCATION

National is determined to address urgent problems in the tertiary sector, and make sure that students - and taxpayers - get more out of their investment in tertiary education. There are more than 6000 different qualifications in New Zealand. And in too many courses, more than half the students drop out or fail. Meanwhile, many students rack up interest-free loans for courses they can't or won't pass.

This week Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce laid out the Government's priorities for the sector. We want to improve the relevance of qualifications, improve course completion rates, and link student loans with academic progress. Learn more here.

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS FOR KIWI FAMILIES

On Tuesday I called into the Counties-Manukau Police headquarters to welcome their 200th new recruit.

In the 2008 election campaign we promised to put 300 extra police on the streets of South Auckland by the end of this year, and another 300 around the country by the end of 2011. We're on track to hit those targets. The new police in South Auckland are already making a difference. Locals tell me they're seeing more police on the beat and less trouble in their neighborhoods.

FROM MY DIARY

I'm in Pukekohe today, heading to the Pasifika Festival tomorrow, and starting Auckland's Round the Bays on Sunday. Then I'll be at the world famous Kumeu Show. Next week Parliament is sitting again and we'll be getting stuck into our busy legislative agenda.

Best wishes,

John Key
Prime Minister

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