New Zealand’s national science challenges will be finalised in the next few months and a “greater proportion” of resources will be directed towards them, prime minister John Key has said.
In his first speech of the year and following a cabinet reshuffle, Key focused on economic growth and employment. However, he also said that science is a “real priority” for his government and promised that more money than ever would be invested in research in 2013.
The government set aside $60 million for the challenges in 2012, and has since been consulting on what they should be. Potential areas for investment include agriculture, biosecurity, health and economic growth.