A century of forest innovation

How science has changed timber building in New Zealand

Walk through almost any modern New Zealand home and you’ll find H1.2 boron treated timber used for framing. It’s a standard, affordable and trusted material with decades of scientific research behind it that has reshaped how we build safer, longer lasting homes.

A surprising use for seaweed

Many of the species that call the ocean home – fish and seaweed, for example – have developed unique characteristics that allow them to survive in this environment. This means they produce valuable compounds that have a range of uses. Scientists are finding ways to identify, extract and process these compounds for New Zealand manufacturers to use

Superconductors in space

In the 1980s, scientists began working with a class of materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance — superconductors. What began in DSIR and later evolved through Industrial Research Ltd and Callaghan Innovation now lives on as the Paihau–Robinson Research Institute.

Reducing textile waste to save the planet

Every year, an estimated 100,000 tonnes of re-useable fibre ends up in New Zealand landfills, releasing greenhouse gases that can damage the environment.

Unravelling the benefits of wool

Wool is an extremely versatile fibre and has been a core component of New Zealand’s agri-business since sheep were first introduced for farming in the 1840s.