Food, fibre & agriculture: ChristchurchNZ

Great ideas are growing on the Canterbury plains, in the Food, Fibre and Agritech sector, that have the potential to solve big problems in Aotearoa and across the globe.

This sector is one of the ChristchurchNZ’s focus clusters, identified as driving growth and future innovation.

As the largest agricultural region in New Zealand, Canterbury is a consistent high-performer, producing one-fifth of the nation’s agricultural GDP and employing nearly 20,000 people. Competitive advantages of temperate climate, fertile soils and water access are strengthened by a logistical hub of world-class manufacturers, technology and professional services. From an educational factor, Lincoln University has one of the largest concentrations of land-based researchers in the Southern Hemisphere, and Canterbury University produces outstanding engineering talent. Together this sector is growing big thinkers chasing global opportunities.

High-growth industries producing talented innovators are worth investing in. ChristchurchNZ does this is through the Food, Fibre and Agritech challenge where finalists go through a pre-accelerator to develop their idea into a viable product. This programme is delivered by the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Entrepreneurship.

The top 10 ventures were pitched to a live audience on 19 June, and the innovations on display were remarkable, all with the potential to disrupt the sector. With the ongoing impacts of climate change, the call for increasingly smart agritech solutions is now becoming more important than ever before.