IRANZ news briefs
Dragonfly Data Science now houses "Croissant", an analysis tool that streamlines the process of analysing public submissions. Photo: Dragonfly Data Science.
BRANZ: 2026 ArchEngBuild Challenge
Some of New Zealand's top design and construction students spent 72 hours tackling one of our most pressing housing puzzles: how to design affordable, high-quality homes that can be adapted to communities across the country.
After three intense days of designing, debating and problem-solving, a winning concept emerged at the 2026 BRANZ ArchEngBuild Challenge, held in early July at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
This year's national competition brought together 40 students from architecture, engineering, construction and related disciplines to tackle the challenge of balancing affordability, sustainability, resilience and quality.
Working in multidisciplinary teams, the students were tasked with developing a repeatable housing model rather than a one-off development - an approach designed to test not only technical skills but also collaboration, innovation, and systems thinking.
Dragonfly Data Science is the new home for Croissant
From May this year, Dragonfly Data Science is the home for Croissant, an analysis tool that streamlines the process of analysing public submissions.
Croissant was originally developed by the Ministry of Environment (MfE), the Department of Internal Affairs, and Dragonfly Data Science. However, MfE no longer has the capacity to manage Croissant, and without regular oversight and updates, the tool is unable to deliver on its full potential.
To avoid this, Dragonfly Data Science will now host the tool, ensuring that Croissant will continue to benefit the public service and the general public.
“Croissant is a product that we're very excited to take onboard to refine and develop further,” says Dragonfly's Director of Data Science, Dr Finlay Thompson.
“Public submissions are a core part of the democratic process. When large numbers of people take the time to engage with a bill or public consultation, it is important their views can be properly considered. “Croissant helps agencies review and understand that feedback in a way that is more manageable, more consistent, and better suited to the scale of modern consultation.”
Malaghan visiting researcher: Dr Lauren Holz
Dr Lauren Holz is a group head at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne. She recently shared her research at the Malaghan, focusing on developing vaccines that generate liver-resident memory T-cells. These immune cells station themselves permanently in the liver, ready to strike the moment malaria infection begins.
"Malaria is a problem that isn't going away, and we're increasingly seeing that what we're doing isn't enough," says Dr Holz.
"We need better tools to control it. The key is a long-lasting, efficacious vaccine, and that comes from understanding both immune biology and the parasite's lifecycle."
Lincoln Agritech's 2025 Annual Review
Lincoln Agritech's 2025 Annual Review reflects a year of progress in delivering science-led solutions to some of New Zealand's most important challenges.
Download a digital copy of their Annual Review by clicking this link.
With a clear focus on two strategic priorities - Waiora: Water Security Solutions and Bio-Resource Solutions - Lincoln Agritech are strengthening their ability to turn research into real-world impact.
Waiora - Water Security Solutions
Lincoln Agritech is deepening understanding of water systems under increasing pressure from climate change and population growth.
From braided rivers and groundwater recharge to high-resolution water quality monitoring, this work is improving how water is managed and used. Tools such as IRRICAD™, now used in more than 100 countries, continue to support more efficient, data-driven irrigation design.
Bio-Resource Solutions
Work in this area is focused on creating value from underused natural materials and supporting more productive, sustainable systems.
This includes developing new materials from wool and plant biomass, progressing methane mitigation technologies, and transforming waste streams into useful, high-value products.
Motu: Arthur Grimes awarded NZ Association of Economics Distinguished Fellow
In a mark of recognition for a career dedicated to supporting better outcomes for communities, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington-s Chair of Wellbeing and Public Policy, Professor Arthur Grimes has been awarded the New Zealand Association of Economics Distinguished Fellow Award.
The award recognises economists in Aotearoa New Zealand who have made a significant contribution to the development of economics and is the highest honour bestowed by the Association.
Out of the various awards Arthur has received throughout his career, he says this one means the most to him.
“This recognition from my peers is a highlight of the almost 50 years I have spent as a professional economist.”
Bragato: New canopy system passes first wine test
Early winemaking results from Bragato Research Institute's Next Generation Viticulture (NGV) Programme suggest a novel vineyard canopy system can reduce vineyard workload without compromising Sauvignon Blanc quality.
The programme is investigating innovative six-, nine- and 12-vertical-cordon systems designed to reduce canopy density, improve efficiency, and support vineyard profitability. In the first vintage, the 6V system produced lower sugar and yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) than conventional cane-pruned vines, with high crop levels likely contributing to slower ripening and fermentation.
However, early results from the 2026 vintage show YAN levels have improved as crop levels moderated, with the 6V vines reaching similar sugar concentrations to controls at almost the same time.
Winemaking results from 2025 showed generally similar chemical and sensory profiles between 6V and conventional vines. While some thiol and methoxypyrazine concentrations differed, these differences did not consistently translate into noticeable sensory differences.
Paul Epee, from Bragato Research Institute, writes that the results indicate the 6V system can deliver viticultural benefits while preserving Sauvignon Blanc quality.
Cawthron scientists secure funding for mitochondrial innovation in aquaculture
Cawthron Institute scientists have been awarded a significant research grant through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's (MBIE) Endeavour Fund - Smart Ideas 2025 investment round, to lead a pioneering new project aimed at improving climate resilience in Aotearoa New Zealand's aquaculture sector.
The two-year project, Supercharging Mitochondrial Function, will be co-led by fish physiologist Dr Leteisha Prescott and senior aquaculture scientist Dr Jane Symonds. It will investigate how improving mitochondrial function - often referred to as the "powerhouses of the cell" - can enhance the performance, robustness, and survival of key aquaculture species such as salmon, snapper, oysters, and Greenshell mussels.
Dragonfly Data Science: Deckhand customer support team
Dragonfly Data Science introduces Noah Morgan-Jones and Vita O'Brien as the faces behind Dragonfly Data Science's customer support team for Deckhand.
Dragonfly has expanded its offering to include Deckhand, an app that helps fisheries record and track their catches. To help care for Deckhand users, Noah and Vita have come onboard as customer support assistants.
Fishers need technology to work efficiently and consistently while they're out at sea. However, if any problems arise, Noah or Vita are available to help troubleshoot issues involving Deckhand technologies.
Bragato: Innovations in bulk wine shipping
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is an export success story, with the wine style loved around the world. Because New Zealand is geographically distant from its major export markets, shipping unpackaged wine for bottling in the destination market has become mainstream in little more than a decade. Recent industry data shows that since 2024, a greater volume of New Zealand wine has been exported in bulk format than bottled at source.
However, New Zealand aromatic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc rely on fragile volatile compounds that are sensitive to oxygen exposure and temperature variation. As bulk shipping volumes continue to increase, the industry's challenge is not whether bulk shipping can work, but how it can be managed consistently and predictably so that wines land in the market in the same condition they left the winery.
The Bragato Research Institute (BRI) has recently undertaken a literature review to consolidate current knowledge on the preservation of quality and style when shipping unpackaged wines in bulk, provide recommendations for best practices where appropriate, and identify knowledge gaps for further research.
BRI Board: Powering wine research for New Zealand
Bragato Research Institute occupies "a unique space in the wine research ecosphere", says outgoing board member James Dicey. BRI governance will be absorbed by the same directors as the New Zealand Winegrowers board as of 1 July, but the institute, a wholly owned subsidiary of NZW, will remain a separate organisation, led by Chief Executive Dr Juliet Ansell, delivering research and innovation for the wine industry.
BRANZ: What's at stake for New Zealand's building research system?
Released on 20 August, the BRANZ Annual Review 2026 highlights a year of impact across New Zealand's building sector, with Building Research Levy investment supporting 90 research projects alongside the tools, guidance and expertise used by industry every day.
But 2025/26 also brought a serious risk to New Zealand's building research system. Proposed reforms would repeal the Building Research Levy Act and transfer responsibility for research priorities and investment decisions from an industry-led model to central government.
BRANZ Chair Nigel Smith and Chief Executive Claire Falck reflect on what these proposed changes could mean for the future of independent building research in New Zealand.
Malaghan: Reading the immune system, one puzzle piece at a time
Kate Pilkington knows flow cytometry so well, she talks about it in her sleep, according to a friend who shared a room with her at a conference earlier this year. For someone who's spent 20 years immersed in the field, it checks out.
Kate leads the cytometry team at the Hugh Green Technology Centre, the Malaghan Institute's national centre of excellence for the field, where her team helps scientists deeply interrogate individual immune cells to understand health and disease at the most fundamental level.
So what is cytometry? The word comes from the Greek kytos, meaning 'cell', and metron, meaning 'measure'. That's simply what it is: the measurement of cells.
Malaghan: Clinical study to uncover the origins of a severe type of Crohn's disease
A new clinical study by the Malaghan Institute's Mules Laboratory will explore the underlying triggers of perianal Crohn's disease with the aim of finding better treatment options.
Led by Dr Tom Mules, Malaghan Institute and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley, in collaboration with Professor Michael Schultz, University of Otago and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Southern, the research focuses on this severe form of the condition, which affects around 1 in 5 people with Crohn's disease.
"Our goal is to identify specific bacteria and immune pathways that new therapies can target," says Dr Mules.
Date posted: 27 August 2026