A science advocate is describing the decision to close the North Island's FoodHQ research hub as 'problematic' in the long term, as it could stifle New Zealand's future food innovation and technological developments.
FoodHQ was set up in 2013 as New Zealand's "food super campus" to develop, launch and investigate food science and innovation opportunities, at its Palmerston North base near Massey University.
Projects included reports into emerging proteins like hemp and fungi, developing a food market for GLP-1 patients, dairy's next opportunity and the aquaculture sector's future.
Its private-public board decided it would close the entity, which was reduced to just several scientists including its chief executive since 2023 Victoria Hatton, with no property assets remaining.
At the board table was main shareholder Plant and Food Research, now the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), the Palmerston North City Council and Fonterra.
Adjunct freshwater and environmental science professor Dr Troy Baisden, who was also co-president of the Association of Scientists, said the closure came during a time of significant reform in the science sector.
"It looks like the FoodHQ issues that are causing it to close its doors are really par for the course with the simplifications in the science system," said Baisden.
"Unfortunately, these feel a lot like we're playing musical chairs with things that matter.
"I think in the long term, it's definitely a problematic move."
Baisden said FoodHQ had said earlier this year that New Zealand needed to think harder about growing innovation capacity and developing the workforce, which were issues left unaddressed by the cut.
"One of the concerns is that we weren't putting enough focus onto the intersection of where tech meets our existing strengths, including food, including primary sector.
"When the shareholders say they're closing it, it means that BSI now believes it can go it alone in terms of the things that FoodHQ was doing," he said.
"Is that really the case? We're seeing an ageing sector; we need innovation that continues to turn the things that we can grow in New Zealand into high value products overseas; and we continue to need to develop a workforce that can do that."
Baisden said FoodHQ was run under a public-private model, but it was effectively independent to support small companies, start-ups or innovators with research and development.
He said public foundation for the belief that business-led research and development would drive the future was being lost.
"Sadly, what that tends to mean is that we won't be developing the new innovative things in the future because that's where productivity increases, and the big and surprising innovations of the future come from."
Why the closure?
Half of FoodHQ's revenue - which came to $840,000 in the last year - came from its shareholding members, with the rest from programme funding.
Hatton also ran and led the E Tipu Future Food and Fibre Summit events, showcasing local and international talent including nanobiotechologists, food futurists and experts in areas such as sustainability, food production and agritechnology.
Chairman Mark Piper said shareholders decided FoodHQ would no longer operate as a standalone organisation which was not the best way to progress the work anymore.
He said funding was part of but not the sole reason behind the "tough" decision to close it, and the formation of the BSI had also changed the environment too.
"The board and the owners over the last few months made the decision that now it's probably the right time to exit Food HQ.
"The collaboration is happening better than it ever was in 2013, and the opportunity for us to keep that going in the respective organisations is kind of where the decision came from."
Piper said it was a mutual agreement when the backers said they would not continue to fund it.
"[We] had unanimous support from the owners and funders that they [wouldn't continue to fund FoodHQ] because of what they were doing in their own organisations, that they thought the money was best spent in their own organisations.
"And we as a board also agreed that it was a good time to disband."
Piper was chief executive of the newly-formed BSI since its establishment in July 2025, before former head of global dairy genetics company CRV Angus Haslett took over the helm in July.
Piper believed much of the work would continue.
He said regardless of FoodHQ, there was a broader question around the appetite for New Zealand's public and private sectors to invest in more longer-term, higher risk research and development.
"Blue sky research, in a broader sense, is that stuff that's a little bit risky, the stuff that maybe people can't quite see whether it'll succeed, and it's probably ahead of where industry or consumers are.
"It's harder to justify because it doesn't have an immediate return on investment.
"I think there's a there's a challenge globally at the moment on that."
Piper said it would know later this month if the annual food summit events would continue.
Earlier this month, the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment said investment in primary industries and bioeconomy will be $194,000,000 each year by 2029/2030 - down by a third off 2026/27 forecasts.
BSI said it had no further comment.
Hatton was approached for comment.
