Celebrating a Shared Vision

In late October, Plant & Food Research hosted an inspiring Moananui Partner Forum at their advanced research facility in Nelson. This gathering celebrated the collective energy and generosity uniting Moananui partners—all dedicated to a sustainable, thriving blue economy for Aotearoa. Plant & Food Research’s purpose for hosting was clear: to foster collaboration, showcase the breadth of their capabilities, and encourage shared use of high-value facilities that can drive innovation across the blue economy. By opening their doors, Plant & Food Research offered the Moananui community a valuable opportunity to explore synergies, discover unique capabilities, and envision a collaborative future.

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Research in Action: A Tour of Plant & Food Research’s Facilities

The forum featured a comprehensive tour of Plant & Food Research’s facilities, highlighting their latest research and innovations. Attendees were introduced to Plant & Food Research’s commitment to total utilisation — finding ways to transform marine by-products into high-value items for human and animal nutrition as well as innovative non-food applications. From collagen in fish skins to bioactive compounds in Greenshell™ mussels, Plant & Food Research is unlocking the full potential of these resources to support both environmental and economic sustainability.

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The tour also included a visit to the finfish research area, where partners observed seawater systems and research on local species such as snapper and butterfish, work that is paving the way for diversification of aquaculture in New Zealand.

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A standout feature of the tour was the new flume tank — a versatile resource for testing and developing innovative marine technologies. Attendees witnessed its capabilities for testing water flow effects on technology prototypes, a key tool in Plant & Food Research’s Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) development for wild fisheries capture. Designed for diverse applications, the tank provides a controlled, simulated marine environment where equipment and technology can be rigorously tested and refined, sparking significant interest among partners who saw its potential for their own projects.

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Collaborative Conversations and Future Opportunities

The event underscored the immense value of the Moananui cluster. Engaged and inquisitive, partners posed questions and shared ideas throughout the tour, with many discussions sparking new avenues for collaboration. Plant & Food Research reported that the forum exceeded expectations, with conversations extending well beyond the scheduled timeframe as partners explored ways to support each other’s work and share resources to advance their collective goals. Helen Palmer, General Manager Science - Seafood Technologies at Plant & Food Research, highlighted the forum’s collaborative impact: “By nurturing connections and sharing resources, we’re enabling our partners to unlock new possibilities. It’s inspiring to see them recognise the potential of assets like the flume tank—not just for individual projects, but to fuel collaborative innovations that will drive New Zealand’s blue economy forward.”

These forums are integral to Moananui’s mission of fostering connections and collaboration among forward-thinking organisations to accelerate growth and sustainability within New Zealand’s blue economy.

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Join the Movement

Ready to drive innovation and sustainable development in the blue economy? Find out how your organisation can become a vital part of this collaborative community. Learn more about membership here or get in touch at kiaora@moanaui.org.nz

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Plant & Food Research - is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes and provides research and development that adds value to Aotearoa’s horticulture and seafood industries. It has close to 1000 employees, at 14 sites in New Zealand, as well as offices in Australia and the USA. The Nelson Research Centre was opened in conjunction with Port Nelson in 2017 and houses 50 staff focused on seafood research, along with laboratories, workshops, offices, an extensive live finfish facility and the most recent investment, a 15m flume tank for prototype testing. Close to the Research Centre, Plant & Food Research also has a pilot plant, where scientists are developing new commercially-scalable processes for extraction of marine molecules.

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