- Hon Dr Shane Reti
- Hon Shane Jones
A project that looks to harness the potential of supercritical geothermal energy is amongst 19 ambitious science programmes the Government is backing, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.
"The Endeavour Fund backs bold ideas with the potential to strengthen our economy, drive innovation, and deliver benefits for New Zealanders" Dr Reti says.
"The DeepHeat project by the New Zealand Institute for Earth Science Limited (formerly GNS) will receive $10 million from the Endeavour Fund. Starting from 1 October, it will see over 20 leading global geothermal experts explore the significant energy potential of the Central Taupo Volcanic Zone."
"Geothermal is a next-generation energy source and this project has the potential to be globally groundbreaking and strengthen New Zealand's future prosperity. This research will provide critical insight into the exploration of supercritical geothermal energy the Government is funding through the Regional Infrastructure Fund," Mr Jones says.
"As New Zealand's electricity demand continues to grow, so will our dependence on new energy sources. Geothermal fields aren't impacted by the weather like other renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, and wind, representing an important opportunity for our energy security."
"This programme is part of more than $183 million in funding we're investing in projects that have the potential to shape New Zealand's future - from space technologies to healthcare, artificial intelligence, and clean energy," Dr Reti says.
Projects funded in the 2025 round include:
- New climate technology to monitor the upper atmosphere and improve extreme weather forecasting. (University of Otago)
- AI-powered marine planning to support offshore wind energy. (Earth Sciences New Zealand)
- Rapid, low-cost diagnostics for early detection of diseases like Alzheimer's. (University of Canterbury)
- Reducing spat losses to grow NZ's Greenshell mussel sector. (University of Auckland)
Dr Reti says the projects show the power of science to deliver practical solutions.
"Past projects have led to world-first health technologies, advanced clean energy solutions, and innovations that strengthen our primary industries. The programmes announced today will continue that track record - creating new knowledge, growing the economy, and building a more resilient future.
"It's also great to see many projects with a clear path to commercialisation, which means more ideas making it out of the lab and into the real world."
A full list of funded Research Programmes is available on the MBIE website: www.mbie.govt.nz/research-programmes-successful-proposals
