Dear friends and colleagues,

We are pleased to share the Marlborough Research Centre’s 2024/25 Annual Report, bringing together a year of research, innovation, and collaboration across our campuses and partnerships.

For more than forty years, MRC has played a pivotal role in sustaining and strengthening Marlborough’s research capability for the region’s economic benefit, ensuring that essential primary sector research is originated and undertaken within the region. Marlborough’s primary sector economy through applied research, innovation, and collaboration.

This year’s report reflects that legacy amid a period of change, including national science system reforms that saw Plant & Food Research transition into the new Bioeconomy Science Institute, and organisational changes at NMIT.

It also marks the first full year of establishment and development for Te Whenua Tupu – the Living Lab and offers our thanks to long-serving trustee Bernie Rowe for his significant contribution to MRC’s governance!

Alongside these developments, we highlight the research on our Rowley Crescent vineyard, campus sustainability initiatives, and share major milestones for DNAiTECH as it advances its portable diagnostic innovation on the global stage.

We invite you to explore these stories — and many more — in the full report.

John Patterson - Chief Executive, MRC