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Press Release - Research and Development High on APEC Ministers' Agenda

Wellington, New Zealand | 16 November 2003
Research and development leaders will have an unprecedented opportunity to influence decision makers' thinking at next year's meeting of APEC Science and Technology Ministers in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The 4th APEC Ministers's Meeting on Regional Science & Technology Co-operation is the first APEC ministerial level event for 2004 and is part of a series of high level meetings convening under the theme of 'Connecting Science, Policy and Business' from 8 - 12 March.
A number of countries have already indicated they will send a strong delegation, and in some cases more than one Minister, to the event. This includes the United States, Australia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, China, Chinese Taipei and Brunei Darussalam.
The R & D Leaders Forum will be held at the same time, bringing together leaders from the private and public research sectors in the APEC region and further afield.
For the first time R & D leaders will be able to sit down with APEC Science Ministers and have direct input into their thinking says Forum Convenor Anthony Scott, who is the Executive Director of New Zealand's Association of Crown Research Institutes.
"This is a unique opportunity for R & D leaders to influence the way in which the knowledge gained through scientific research is used to benefit the health, wealth and welfare of societies in the APEC region. These two influential groups will be able to discuss face-to-face how science and technology can create value and how we can do it better across the APEC region."
Capturing value from science is the overall theme of the R & D Leaders Forum, which will feature presentations from international leaders in their field.
"The Forum will feature a unique mix of leaders in R & D policy making, operational research and business," Mr Scott says. "We need to have these people talking to each other so they understand each others issues and the drivers. At times there seem to be walls between these groups - the R & D Leaders Forum programme removes these barriers to bring people together to identify and discuss the issues."
Among the leaders confirmed to speak at the Forum are:
  • Dr Masayuki Kondo, Professor of Technology Management, Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences at Yokohama National University of Japan. Dr Kondo is a distinguished scholar who will examine management, science and contemporary issues in developing nations.
  • Dr Gregory Yurek, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of American Superconductor Corporation. Dr Yurek is a world class business leader who will focus on commercialising science: lessons from the high-technology coalface.
  • Dr Paul Callaghan and Dr Peter Hunter. Professor Callaghan is the Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology and a Professor of Physical Sciences at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Professor Hunter is the Director of the Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. These two world class science leaders will discuss new policy and strategy challenges shaped by converging sciences
Meanwhile, to connect international researchers, business and investment partners with world class New Zealand companies an Innovation Showcase is being organised by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the New Zealand Government's trade and economic development agency. It will run alongside the R & D Leaders Forum and ministerial meeting.
The Innovation Showcase has been developed to provide commercial opportunities for attending APEC Business Delegations and will involve some of New Zealand's leading biotechnology, information and communication technology, creative and niche manufacturing businesses. The programme includes an exhibition, business meetings and site visits for pre-qualified international business delegates, a symposia and some informal sector-based site visits in and around Christchurch.
Through the pre-arranged business meetings and site visits international business delegates including potential investors and business partners will be able to make connections with leading New Zealand businesses. The exhibition will showcase some of New Zealand's most innovative companies and their world leading products and services while the symposia will focus on market opportunities and key New Zealand industry sectors. The half-day visits to selected science, technology or research organisations will provide an opportunity to share best practice examples.
Other APEC economies are also being invited to exhibit examples of their science and technology strengths at the Innovation Showcase exhibition.
There is already keen interest in the high level events being held next year in New Zealand, with New Zealand's track record for innovation in science and technology believed to be a strong drawcard.
New Zealanders are well known for their flair for ingenuity and for thriving on solutions for innovative problem solving, evidenced by three New Zealanders having been named Nobel laureates in the science sector. This includes Maurice Wilkins who received a Nobel Prize in 1962 for elucidation of the structure of DNA, alongside Watson and Crick.
Full Programmes and Speaker Details available at
www.apecscience2004.org.nz
New Zealand success stories in science and technology at
www.marketnewzealand.com
Enquiries and registrations for the APEC meetings to:
[email protected]

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