Ka titiro ki muri, ka haera ki mua

Meg Matthews , Chairperson, Cawthron Institute

More than 100 years ago, a retired Nelson businessman and philanthropist Thomas Cawthron made a will that would have a lasting impact on New Zealand science from the early 1920s to today.

This year, Cawthron Institute celebrates 100 years of delivering worldclass science following its official establishment in April 1921 with a bequest from Thomas Cawthron, who had a vision to deliver practical and independent scientific research for the benefit of Te Tahuihu and New Zealand.

Fast forward to 2021, we are now New Zealand’s largest independent science organisation with 300 staff from 35 countries, working across multiple sites in Nelson, and Thomas Cawthron’s vision continues to be the ethos that drives our research programmes today.

For the past 100 years our scientists have been able to identify emerging areas of research to assist industry, and New Zealand, to become sustainable and successful. We see ourselves as a bridge between science and industry, connecting R&D to commercial application.

In the early years Cawthron scientists applied their expertise to agricultural research, then as timber exports took off, they progressed to forestry research. They then moved into supporting the pipfruit and hop growing industries. Today our science is strongly focused on protecting marine and freshwater environments and assisting New Zealand’s economy through the sustainable development of the dairy, seafood and aquaculture sectors, as well as supporting the development of novel foods, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

In addition, Cawthron has more than 30 years of expertise in algae research, and we are one of few organisations worldwide to specialise in extracting high-value bioactive compounds from microalgae which could be used in food or pharmaceutical products. Meanwhile our macroalgae research exploring the value of different seaweed species could significantly contribute to achieving the government’s target of aquaculture becoming a $3bn industry by 2035.

And it’s not only New Zealanders benefitting from Cawthron’s science – globally its impact is being realised too. For example, a method developed by Cawthron scientists to detect toxins in seafood has been internationally validated and is helping to set a world standard for the global seafood industry.

As we celebrate our rich history this year, we are also looking ahead to the next 100 years of science, innovation and problem solving. We have recently made the exciting appointment of Volker Kuntzsch as Cawthron’s new Chief Executive and we are making significant investment into new research infrastructure in Te Tau Ihu, including the National Algae Research Centre due to open in May, and upgraded laboratories.

As part of our centenary year, there will be many opportunities for the community to join with us in celebrating 100 years of science, from our annual activities such as the Scitec Expo for primary and secondary schools, through to our Thomas Cawthron Memorial Lecture which is a free event for the public.

We’ll be opening Cawthron’s doors to the public as part of our Open Day in April, as well as working closely with the Nelson Provincial Museum on a special Cawthon exhibition later this year.

This is an extraordinary year for Cawthron and we’re committed to making our science accessible to everyone.