2025 Science New Zealand Award finalists

The Science New Zealand (SNZ) Awards recognise outstanding scientific achievements, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on Scion’s exceptional finalists as we approach the awards ceremony. These individuals and teams are pushing the boundaries of knowledge, making significant contributions to science, and driving innovation. Congratulations to Scion’s finalists:

Success in Innovation/Commercialisation finalist - The Ecogas team

Led by Scion's Paul Bennett, the Ecogas team is pioneering sustainable innovation with New Zealand’s first commercial-scale biomethane and biofertiliser production facility. By processing 75,000 tonnes of organic waste annually, they’re making a significant environmental impact. This achievement is the result of a strong partnership between Pioneer Energy, EcoStock Supplies Ltd., and Scion’s science and technology experts.  Watch video.

2024 NZ Biosecurity Awards - Minister's biosecurity award winner

Principal researcher Dr Brian Richardson has been acknowledged for his outstanding contributions to New Zealand Biosecurity, presented with the Minister’s Biosecurity Award at the NZ Biosecurity Awards on 8 April.

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2023 Science New Zealand Awards

Scion scientists have been celebrated in the annual Science New Zealand awards for work to help cut industrial CO2 emissions, reduce microplastics in the environment, and to connect Māori communities with research and science. Scion awardees in the three categories were:

Scion’s awardee for Individual/Lifetime Achievement is emeritus Dr Tanira Kingi for his more than 30-year career covering management, consultancy, and academic positions across the primary sectors. Tanira (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Awa,Te Arawa) is a Climate Change Commissioner, an advisor to the Ministries for the Environment and Primary Industries and an independent research scientist. Tanira has significantly contributed to New Zealand's primary industries and the Māori community. He has mentored young Māori researchers and is considered a lead expert in Māori land tenure and organisational structures. In his time at Scion, he worked collaboratively with teams across the organisation providing mentorship, and strategic advice while leading programmes in climate mitigation and land use change scenario modelling. In 2021 he was made an emeritus scientist at Scion. Watch the video

Scion’s awardee for Early Career Researcher is Dr Bing Song who leads Scion's Solid Biofuel Project. Between joining Scion in 2019 and the awards in 2023, Bing has been a primary author on seven papers and co-authored another five. Of the 35 published papers in his career, 31 have been in Q1 journals – the highest-ranking in a particular field. Bing often helps review manuscripts for journals in his field, mentor colleagues as is editor of two international academic journals. He is passionate about the work which could replace coal and gas in New Zealand industry helping reduce the nearly 5 million tonnes of CO2 emitted by industry every year. Watch the video

Our awardee for the Team Award is the Microplastic Team. The team has been working to understand how much microplastic is in our environment, what it is, where it is coming from and what environmental consequences it has. Their work has contributed to a wide range of projects including fundamental research, community engagement and outreach, and commercial projects which include determining the amount of microplastic in our food. Their research insights have been sent to regional councils and national environmental groups allowing them to adjust their plastic clean up plans. The work will ultimately lead to strategies to reduce microplastics pollution and its impacts. The team also contributed to the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) led multi-party Endeavour Fund project Aotearoa Impacts and Mitigation of Microplastics. Scion team members included Anna de Lena, Beatrix Theobald, Ben Davy, Jamie Bridson, Kate Parker (project leader), Lloyd Donaldson, Maxime Barbier, Queenie Tanjay, Regis Risani, Robert Abbel, Ross Anderson and Steph Davy. Watch the video

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2022 Science New Zealand Awards

Scion’s leadership in forestry science, bioplastics research and biotechnology has been celebrated by Scion and its peers at the Science New Zealand Awards. Scion awardees in the three categories were:

Scion’s awardee for Individual/Lifetime Achievement is Principal Researcher Dr Mike Watt for his leadership in forest science and for his distinguished scientific career spanning more than two decades. During this time, he has made significant contributions to several research areas with notable influence within the areas of forest science, weed management, forest growth modelling and, most recently, remote sensing. He has produced 173 peer-reviewed publications across a range of topics connected to forestry, making him one of our country’s most prolific and trusted forest researchers. His scientific explorations have advanced knowledge of our nation’s forest estates, providing opportunities for industry to translate his research into practice – adding enormously to the health and economic value of plantation forests across Aotearoa. A globally recognised expert in his field, Dr Watt’s expertise and research leadership will continue to be sought-after by forest managers needing a competitive edge. Watch the video

Scion’s awardee for Early Career Researcher is biopolymer scientist Dr Angelique Greene, one of Scion’s most creative and productive emerging scientists since joining Scion’s Biopolymers and Chemicals team four years ago. Angelique received her PhD in chemistry in 2016 and is already leading several major research projects and making important contributions to others. Her keen sense for immediate commercial impact has been demonstrated through the success of her Innovation Jumpstart project that developed into a collaboration with Auckland-based filament manufacturer Imagin Plastics. Together with Scion, and with very significant input from Angelique, they have developed an innovative new product targeting users of home 3D printers. Watch the video

Our awardee for the Team Award is the CVC Vaccine Biotechnology Team that collaborated with a company in 2021 to support work that explored an experimental Covid-19 vaccine. The interdisciplinary team partnered with CVC (Covid-19 Vaccine Corporation Ltd) to contribute to the global fight against SARS-CoV-2 by helping to develop and manufacture an experimental Covid-19 vaccine. The team worked through early stages of the pandemic with CVC to fast-track the production of vaccine prototypes that CVC took into pre-clinical testing. Scion’s team designed fermentation techniques to produce vaccine material, cultivating it in fermenters before purifying it for further testing offshore. Scion’s resources and expertise working with PHA-producing bacteria, combined with the ability to work flexibly in the face of a global health challenge, was critical to CVC achieving proof of concept for their strategy. Scion team members included Taryn Saggese, Mark West, Alyesha Candy, David Hooks, Diahanna O’Callahan, Christophe Collet, Sumanth Ranganathan, and Gareth Lloyd-Jones. Watch the video

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Scion and AgriSea partnership – KuDos primary industries award

Scion’s collaboration with AgriSea has been recognised with a primary industries award at the KuDos Awards in Hamilton.

After two postponements due to the pandemic, the 2021 Awards were held on 14 September 2022, with scientists from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region celebrated for their creativity, passion, innovation and results.

Scion and AgriSea were congratulated for their work building on Scion’s pulping expertise and AgriSea’s 26 years in seaweed processing, resulting in a novel seaweed hydrogel.

The accolade quickly follows AgriSea’s success at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards in 2022 where they were judged Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year. The award, sponsored by Callaghan Innovation, highlighted the company’s collaborative work with Scion in developing the hydrogel as part of its mission to create a high-value and sustainable seaweed industry in Aotearoa.

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2021 Science New Zealand Awards

These awards show the depth of talent across Crown scientists including Scion, which is recognised nation-wide and internationally. Awards were given in three categories and Scion awardees were:

Lloyd Donaldson - Lifetime Achievement Award. Doctor of Science, Lloyd Donaldson was acknowledged for his microscopist work and his influence as an internationally recognised microscopist specialising in plant anatomy and ultrastructure over his 40 years at Scion. He has pioneered techniques in confocal fluorescence imaging of wood and biomaterials, with his methods forming a part of researcher toolboxes globally. With an h-index of 42 (Google Scholar), he has over 100 publications including sixteen books and book chapters, with his images selected four times as journal covers. Watch the video

Dr Qiliang Fu - Early Career Researcher. Qiliang is a leading scientist in wood nanotechnology and functionalisation who specialises in wood nanotechnologies, including various chemical treatment and functional approaches, applied to tailor and modify the nanostructure of bulk wood. Qiliang has contributed strongly to developing this field globally. Qiliang did the original research on transparent wood and transparent wood film, novel designs and multifunctionalities of sustainable materials. This work has led to breakthroughs in transparent, fire-retardant, hydrophobic/lipophilic and opto-electronic applications. Watch the video

Agrisea NZ and Scion collaboration - Team Award. The Scion and Agrisea NZ collaboration team together are accelerating new nanocellulose-based business opportunities. Scion’s wood pulping expertise and AgriSea’s 25 years in seaweed processing has resulted in a novel seaweed gel product. The team developed a method to produce nanocellulose from AgriSea’s seaweed waste stream without disrupting current products and processing. Their innovative approach enables the extraction, isolation and manufacture of high-value nanocellulose hydrogel and nanocellulose. Applications for these materials include performance biocomposites, biomedical engineering applications, wound care, cosmetics and drug delivery. The Scion technology to produce seaweed nanocellulose was licensed and transferred to AgriSea at the start of 2021. Manufacture of nanocellulose was successfully trialled at pilot scale (funded through the Bioresource Processing Alliance). An intergenerational whānau business, AgriSea is now upgrading its factory to include an industrial nanocellulose production plant in its hometown of Paeroa and employs local people in coastal regions to collect beach cast seaweed. The Scion team members involved are Dr Stefan Hill, Sean Taylor, Dr Yi Chen, Rob Whitton, Dr Marie-Joo Le Guen, working with AgriSea team members: Clare and Tane Bradley, Dr Melodie Lindsay. Watch the video

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Read more about previous awards here.