Agrisea New Zealand has won the NZ Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year Award for 2022 at a gala event in Wellington.
The award, sponsored by Callaghan Innovation, highlights the company’s work with Scion scientists in developing novel seaweed hydrogels as part of its mission to create a high-value and sustainable seaweed industry in Aotearoa.
AgriSea chief executive Clare Bradley said the award is proof of the benefits that come from combining indigenous knowledge with mainstream science and biotechnology.
“Not only does this award show that indigenous knowledge and science anchored in natural, renewable resources can compete and win against other technology industries, it also highlights the strength that comes from weaving together and respecting different knowledge sets.”
The collaboration between AgriSea and Scion started in 2017 when Clare and Tane Bradley met Scion researchers Dr Marie-Joo Le Guen and Dr Stefan Hill at Matariki X, a symposium that brings Māori innovators and entrepreneurs together with researchers.
A casual conversation about nanocellulose from seaweed waste led to a productive partnership now spanning five years.
Nanocellulose can be used in a range of products, including batteries, adhesives, biomedical supplies, and cosmetics.
The bulk of the world’s supply of nanocellulose is produced using wood pulp treated with harsh chemicals.
Drawing on Scion’s wood pulping expertise, the collaboration explored a way to create this versatile polymer from seaweed and kelp, resulting in an environmentally superior product and one that adds economic value to AgriSea’s business and the wider aquaculture industry.
“The concept that we could make crystals out of seaweed was hard for us to compute in the beginning,” Bradley said.
“But Stefan and Marie-Joo are such awesome people, and we started a commercial relationship on the back of that.
“Driving us forward has been our aligned values and vision. Scion was clear that they wanted to do the best science they could, and we were clear that we wanted to commercialise the science and develop new products.”
Equally important for AgriSea is the desire to be good kaitiaki (guardians) of the whenua and of the natural resources that are at the heart of their family-owned, Paeroa-based seaweed company, which has provided biostimulants to farmers and growers for more than 25 years.
“If we want to grow a seaweed sector in Aotearoa, we need high-value, unique products from our natural resources. At the same time, we want to be good ancestors for our grandchildren. Designing these products from our current waste stream processes meets both these objectives.”
A Crown Research Institute, Scion is at the forefront of national efforts to transition New Zealand to a circular bioeconomy as a means of tackling climate change and limiting reliance on products made from fossil fuels.
Hill, Scion’s portfolio lead for High Value Biorefineries, said research with AgriSea is an exciting example of developing renewable biobased products to replace traditional petrochemical-based products, and providing a path for industry uptake.
“Their indigenous knowledge, combined with our science excellence, has resulted in a very authentic and world-leading collaboration,” Hill said.
