Wednesday 16 September 2026
This new Working Group brings together experts from across Aotearoa New Zealand to build visibility, connection and a coordinated voice for Engineering Biology.
BioTech New Zealand (BioTechNZ) has launched its Engineering Biology Working Group, bringing together leaders from research, industry and the wider innovation ecosystem to help New Zealand realise the potential of this fast-moving field.
Engineering Biology combines biological science with engineering principles, design and systematic iteration. Put simply, it helps scientists and innovators understand, design and improve living systems to create useful products and solutions — from new pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and materials to more resilient primary industries, sustainable manufacturing and environmental restoration.
The Working Group has been established to lift the profile of Engineering Biology in New Zealand, showcase local expertise and provide a coordinated voice for a field that spans research institutions, industry and government.
“Engineering Biology is about applying the discipline of engineering to biology so we can create and scale solutions to real-world challenges,” saysAlec Foster, Chair of the Engineering Biology Working Group and Bioproducts Portfolio Lead at the Bioeconomy Science Institute.
“New Zealand has hard-won expertise in this area. We now have an opportunity to make that capability more visible, more connected and better positioned to deliver impact — whether that is new medicines, higher-value products, more sustainable production or environmental solutions.”
New Zealand has developed deep capability in gene technologies and biological innovation. Its researchers and innovators are already contributing expertise in the design, redesign and reimagining of living systems.
However, the regulatory framework governing gene technology has not kept pace with the rapid advances occurring internationally. This can constrain researchers and innovators seeking to translate discoveries into real-world applications.
“The expertise across New Zealand’s biotechnology community is real, diverse and ready to contribute,” says Zahra Champion, Executive Director of BioTechNZ.
“The Engineering Biology Working Group provides a practical forum for people and organisations to connect, identify shared priorities and help ensure New Zealand can turn scientific discovery into solutions that benefit our people, economy and environment.”
The Working Group will focus on four priorities in 2026:
- positioning and showcasing Engineering Biology within New Zealand’s innovation and investment landscape;
- building an ecosystem of companies, people and infrastructure across the country;
- coordinating activity across organisations to avoid duplication of effort; and
- providing a unified voice for this emerging sector.
The group is chaired by Alec Foster, Bioproducts Portfolio Lead at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, with Ipshita Mandal-Johnson, Director of Mandal-Johnson Ltd, as Co-Chair. Contributors include representatives from BioTechNZ, the Ferrier Research Institute, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, the NZ Food Safety Science & Research Centre at Massey University, BioOra Limited and the wider biotechnology community.
BioTechNZ is inviting interested people and organisations to get involved.
Learn more: Engineering Biology Working Group – BioTech New Zealand
Get in touch: info@biotechnz.org.nz
Join BioTechNZ: https://biotechnz.org.nz/join/