Five Research-Led AI Concepts Chosen for National Platform Development

Five AI research concepts have been shortlisted to establish Aotearoa’s first national AI research platform, backed by up to $70 million over seven years through the Institute for Advanced Technology.

Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti said the selections mark “an exciting first step” in lifting New Zealand’s AI capability, accelerating commercialisation and creating new economic opportunities. Each concept will receive $250,000 in seed funding, with a final platform selected in early 2026 and full funding beginning in July 2026.

Shortlisted Concepts

1. BioAI Platform – Bioeconomy Science Institute Applying AI to agriculture, aquaculture and forestry to address labour shortages, climate resilience, pest management and export quality. Developed with industry and Māori partners, the platform targets a 12:1 return, projecting $840 million in direct impact, alongside wider export gains.
   

2. Aotearoa Institute for Autonomous Intelligence – Earth Sciences NZ & Victoria University of Wellington Positioning New Zealand as a testbed for autonomous systems using challenging environments. Initial focus on aerospace and marine, with broader applications across logistics, energy, agriculture and environmental monitoring.
   

3. Aotearoa Agentic Artificial Intelligence Platform – University of Auckland Developing next-generation AI agents capable of learning, acting and adapting in the real world. Large-scale simulations of Aotearoa will be used to test reliability, performance and alignment with national values before deployment.
   

4. Aotearoa Creative Artificial Intelligence Research Institute – Wētā FX Advancing creative and physical AI, including computer vision, generative models and digital twins. Existing private R&D investment enables tools and datasets to be shared with universities, start-ups and industry.
   

   

5. Physical AI for Real-World Systems – Universities of Waikato & Canterbury (Joint Proposal) Delivering AI for complex outdoor and industrial environments. The platform will provide shared infrastructure, real-world test sites, safety frameworks and reusable software, with Māori co-governance and data sovereignty embedded from the outset.

Next Steps

Dr Reti also announced the inaugural Institute for Advanced Technology Board, chaired by Steve O’Connor, with members Professor Cather Simpson, Professor Greg O’Grady and Arama Kukutai.

The shortlisted concepts reflect a coordinated approach to building AI capability that supports productivity, exports, high-value jobs and long-term national resilience.