Gene technology traction sees Life Sciences Summit stay in Wellington

After a trio of successful conferences, BioTechNZ executive director Zahra Champion wanted to build on the momentum created in the capital, both within the sector and in terms of growing government awareness and support. 

The first conference in 2023, supported by WellingtonNZ, successfully brought together New Zealand’s life science community and showcased the sector and its importance. The second in 2024 attracted the Science, Innovation, and Technology Minister as the keynote speaker. It also saw the announcement of long-awaited reforms to gene technology regulation. 

The third summit was held in March 2025 at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre. It stood out for its content, addressing current challenges in the industry. “Our speakers were of such high calibre. It emphasised the power of storytelling,” Zahara said. 

A bananas approach to targeted content 

In the most recent summit, Zahara said there is a job to be done in communicating how the new Gene Technology Bill would support scientists to make advances in healthcare, climate change, and agricultural productivity. This had to be done while ensuring strong protections for the health and safety of people and the environment. 

The first presentation put this into context. It outlined the importance of gene-edited bananas not only in saving the produce, but also the economies dependent on them as an export market. The second outlined the importance of clear terminology and marketing around gene science reform to counter misinformation. 

“We need to bring people along for the ride,” Zahara said. “We can’t just tell them, ‘it’s going to be good for us’. You need to explain why.” 

A senior speaker from the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia spoke about using their country’s framework as a blueprint for the rollout of gene technology regulation. 

To meet the event’s strategic objectives, the summit also hosted a panel aimed at remedying New Zealand’s dwindling competitive edge for clinical trials. “We have had a 50% decrease in the number of trials coming into New Zealand since COVID.” Champion says the session sparked a conversation about how to get government action. 

Another panel session on the lack of physical infrastructure for synthetic biology saw the launch of The Bioprocessing Challenge. This competition, for those in the alternative food space, gives the recipient the opportunity to use BioSouth’s equipment to scale up their product. 

Showcasing local expertise 

The summit was preceded by several tours, including one of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. This is an independent biomedical research charity specialising in immunology and immunotherapy. Also included was The Ferrier Research Institute with its team of experts in chemistry and biology, and Professor Emily Parker’s Synthetic Biology Lab, which undertakes research in synthetic and chemical biology. Lastly, delegates visited the School of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Biodiscovery. This interdisciplinary research hub brings together experts from biological sciences, chemistry, and medical research to drive biomedical and biotech discoveries. On the evening before the summit, the ‘Touchdown’ event was hosted by BioTechNZ and WellingtonNZ at CreativeHQ. 

“A lot of attendees were international visitors wanting to network and find out what New Zealand is doing.” Zahara explained. “And to understand the potential opportunities for partnering with companies and researchers”. 

Held at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, the two-day summit attracted more than 360 delegates. Attendees praised the “superb” venue, food and staff. A survey showed 96% of respondents believed the event addressed the current sector challenges. Further feedback revealed 93% felt the summit strengthened their connection to the biotech community, and 99% made at least one meaningful connection. 

Zahara thinks this is very positive and wants to build on it for the 2026 event “I’d like to continue to deliver the impact that we’ve made in showcasing the scale and talent of the life science sector in New Zealand.” Being in an election year, the next summit gives attendees a voice in the BioTechNZ manifesto for the incoming government. “There’s still much more ground to cover for the future of biotech, with the convergence of advanced technology, AI, quantum, synthetic biology and more over the next three years.”