May is the new June
Last year, June felt like the sector’s peak season. This year? May is the new June and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Activity across the agritech and food innovation landscape has surged, and we’re proud to be right in the thick of it.
We kicked off our Agritech Unleashed regional event series in Hawke’s Bay earlier this month, where powerful local conversations and insights reminded us how much innovation lives in our regions. We’re excited to continue the series in Hamilton on 21 August and Christchurch in October. We’re building a national picture of what unites the many communities engaged with agritech across the motu.
This week, we join the E-Tipu: NZ Future Food & Fibre Summit hosted by FoodHQ. The care going into shaping an engaging and impactful experience is impressive, and we’re looking forward to learning, contributing, and connecting alongside the rest of the sector.
Then it’s on to Fieldays, an essential space for connection, leadership and visibility. We’re hosting international experts on Thursday 12 June to explore global agritech perspectives, as well as proudly co-host the Women in Agritech session in partnership with MFAT.
In parallel, we’re watching the evolution of New Zealand’s science system closely. The formation of the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science (NZIBS), a merger of AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and Scion is a major structural shift. While transition periods always bring uncertainty, the consolidation of talent and resources holds enormous potential for the agritech sector.
Last week’s budget announcements held a few shards of good news and some shuffles in primary sector funding that are likely to be more distracting than impactful. Read our Budget 2025: Agritech Insights and further commentary here.
Thanks for your continued support. We look forward to connecting with many of you in the weeks ahead!