Page 16 - Demo

Connecting education
to wine research
The past year has seen several initiatives to ensure BRI’s collaboration with educators to both guide students to the wine industry and encourage diversity in science. From student experience in the research winery to BRI
staff as guest lecturers, formal agreements were also signed
to illustrate BRI’s commitment
to Vision Mātauranga. Vision Mātauranga is the Government’s science policy framework to unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources
and people for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, BRI is committed to the vision and embedding it into our research, purpose and practices.
In 2020, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with Pūhoro STEM Academy for the 2020-2021 academic year
to provide a scholarship and internship. This opportunity is for a Māori student studying a tertiary qualification in a science-related field with relevance to the
wine industry.
A separate MOU was signed between BRI, Eastern Institute
of Technology in Hawkes Bay, Otago Polytechnic, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and Marlborough Research Centre to collaborate on research and student learning. The first initiatives from these collaborations will launch in the 2020-2021 financial year.
THE INDUSTRY’S 3 MAJOR LEVY-FUNDED PROGRAMMES:
Vineyard Ecosystems Programme: Pest and Disease, Sustainability
Objective: To research and understand how management choices affect New Zealand vineyards, to increase sustainable winegrowing in the future. The programme started in 2015 and runs to December 2021.
Total Funding: $7m comprising $3.5m each from New Zealand Winegrower's levies and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Partnership Fund.
Research: The Vineyard Ecosystems Programme examines how vineyard management activities can enhance biodiversity and improve grapevine performance. Work now focuses on the complex statistical modelling and analysis needed to verify trends and indicate cause and effect. While these efforts continue through to the end of the programme in 2021, applied research areas are now being summarised for industry uptake, including reduced herbicide applications for weed management, providing alternative habitats for mealybug control, and pruning wound protection against grapevine trunk disease.
Lighter Wines Programme: Diversification, New Wine Styles
Objective: Position New Zealand
as the world leader for high-quality, naturally grown lower-alcohol wines. The programme started in 2014 and runs to December 2020.
Total Funding: $16.97m comprising $8.84m from industry levies and participating companies, and $8.13m from Ministry for Primary Industries’ Primary Growth Partnership (PGP).
Research: Health and wellness consumer trends are not only in clear alignment with the NZ Lighter Wines Programme but look set to continue far beyond its conclusion at the end of 2020. The lower-alcohol wines developed via the NZW/PGP research partnership represent a new product category, one that can already be celebrated for market leadership and critical acclaim.
Participating companies now offer
45 products in the no, low, and lower- alcohol niche. Export sales increased by 57% in the year to May 2020, reaching $8.8 million, while annual domestic sales held their own at $31.4 million.
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BRAGATO RESEARCH INSTITUTE