Business strategies.
Landcare Research is a New Zealand company whose core business is the science of terrestrial ecosystems and sustainable development. We work with and through numerous clients and stakeholders, by transferring the knowledge gained from our research to help sustain the environmental (or natural) capital of New Zealand. Our research programmes are generated from in-depth discussions and planning sessions with current science end-users and from a scan of developing global, national and local issues, which enable us to anticipate the needs of future end-users and stakeholders.
Our efforts contribute either directly or indirectly to New Zealand’s quality of life and economic well-being.
Our work is funded by the Government and private sector customers. Our aim is to grow the private sector revenue base to maintain our fiscal resilience and ensure through commercial contracts that the knowledge we generate is applied by those who can best use it. Outputs from our research cover a spectrum of basic science data, models, policy advice, consultancy, support systems and knowledge bases that lead to improved understanding of ecosystems and management practice, and nationally significant databases and expertise. We have an expanding portfolio of proprietary solutions that help clients enhance all aspects of their own performance.
Our international work is focusing increasingly on assisting our island neighbours in the South Pacific.
The following strategic goals for the next 5 years are designed to position Landcare Research for a strong future:
- Continue to attract world-class talent in ecosystem and sustainable development science
- Provide a great workplace for competitive, productive science
- Invest in capability for growth in emerging areas of high- impact science and business enterprises
- Build rewarding careers for our staff and benefit from our multicultural demographics
- Strengthen awareness of Landcare Research and what it contributes among our key stakeholders
- Broaden our customer base in sustainable development, especially in the private sector
- Partner with regional and Māori authorities to accelerate sustainable economic development
- Create business and national value from commercialisation, accessing third-party capital and expertise where appropriate
- Foster cross-boundary thinking and working to create novel, practical solutions
- Harness information communications technology to enable better access to knowledge by our stakeholders and staff
- Focus on internal process improvements to increase efficiency and minimise business risk.
Landcare Research has a triple role in respect of sustainable development:
- Generating new knowledge from scientific research in this area
- Proactively working with government and private sector organisations to jointly achieve national outcomes
- Ensuring that our own business operations contribute positively to sustainable development in all of its dimensions (environmental, social, economic, and cultural).
Our contribution is therefore a combination of what we do ourselves within our business and what we do with others within New Zealand and overseas. In both arenas we aim to do the best we can with our limited resources, and to learn from both our own and others’ experience.
Our vision statement emphasises the link between quality of life, which is precious to New Zealanders, economic well-being, which is a prerequisite of development, and healthy natural environments, which are the foundation of sustainability. Our work embodies the basic principles of sustainable development, for example:
- Taking the long-term view (we have invested in future scenarios research, supporting national, regional, and corporate strategic planning)
- Taking a proactive approach (we have supported climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches)
- Fostering integrated thinking and action (we bring together economic, social, cultural and economic approaches, for example in urban design and catchment management)
- Seeking win-wins and multiple benefits from specific initiatives (our CarboNZero® and EBEX21® projects support domestic and export businesses and landowners, while addressing greenhouse gas emissions, energy, biodiversity, and land-quality issues).
Our focus on environmental informatics is increasing. Data management, interoperability and integration of computerised databases are essential to provide value to customers and enable our scientists to keep up with the global explosion in knowledge. New developments related to LENZ (page 48) and other spatial visualisation tools are provided through our recently launched Web-based Geographic Information Systems Portal (GISPortal: http://gisportal.landcareresearch. co.nz). Spatial visualisation tools like the GISPortal, together with Web services and new enabling technologies such as the Advanced Network (Research and Education Advanced Network NZ, or REANNZ), will play an increasingly important role in communicating our outputs to customers and collaborators.
Increasingly our work involves collaboration with universities, research institutes and business, nationally and internationally, to access both leading-edge thinking and larger off shore markets, and to support innovation.
Our commercialisation portfolio is moving beyond its traditional pest-wildlife-management domain, with our subsidiary company Sirtrack marketing six product ranges to 65 countries, into bioremediation (e.g. nanoclays), environmental monitoring and remote sensors, and sustainability assessment tools such as those for urban development (e.g. in Hobsonville).
Our company values are embodied in our business model and internal practice. We adopt and refine sustainable technology and practice in all of our operations. Our “green” research building in Auckland demonstrates to corporate New Zealand a high level of environmental features and confirms a 2006 MfE study that green buildings generate value through lower operating costs, less waste and healthier working conditions. Likewise, we are part of the Beacon Pathway, which exhibits notable gains from better use of existing materials in resource efficiency and householder health.
It is our view that economic well-being and quality of life are dependent on healthy natural environments and the “ecosystem services” they provide. This means we will focus increasingly on science and innovation that support those three goals simultaneously. This reflects a new mindset – one that reverses the traditional acceptance of trade-off s between economy, society and environment, in favour of the expectation of multiple gains. We regard “design for sustainability,” which is gaining traction with new buildings and urban developments, as a good example of this new mindset, and we will seek to support this thinking in other sectors.
The primary sector is at the heart of New Zealand’s economy, its employment, and its economic growth prospects; it is responsible for over 60% of merchandise export earnings and has key intersects with other sectors such as processing, niche manufacturing and tourism. The sector depends on the biophysical environment and the natural resources they draw from that environment. Therefore they have major environmental impacts, both positive and negative. How the sector uses and manages natural resources directly aff ects the long-term prosperity of New Zealand.
MAF’s Sustainable Development strategic priorities include policy and guidance on the inter-relationships between people, the biophysical environment and natural resource use. Climate change, sustainable land-use (including water, soil management and conservation) and water quality and allocation are critical issues MAF is presently addressing. Landcare Research science capabilities are assisting MAF and other agencies to address these important, complex issues. We welcome their strategic intent to foster sustainable development through stronger engagement with the private sector, new ways to incentivise and reward landowners to enhance resource productivity and environmental stewardship, and develop environmental technologies that will help resource managers improve monitoring and decision making. High quality science is essential in helping MAF achieve its mission and enhance New Zealand’s natural advantage.
Murray Sherwin,
Director-General,
MAF
Deidre Haines,
MAF