Bioscience under the microscope

 

The bioscience sector is expanding, with 267 organisations actively involved in bioscience, Statistics New Zealand said today. Of these, 108 identified bioscience as their primary area of focus (the core group) and generated income of $351 million. About half of this income was from exports of bioscience goods or services. Total expenditure among the core group of organisations was $246 million. 

 

The economic impact of bioscience exceeds the contribution of this core group of organisations to also include 123 active organisations (those that operate in fields other than bioscience, but use bioscience processes for the manufacturing of products) and 36 research organisations (those involved in bioscience research). 

 

The predominant area where bioscience is applied is innovative foods and human nutrition, for example, the development and manufacture of nutraceuticals and supplements. There are 117 bioscience organisations involved in this area, of which 46 percent are from the active group. Some 114 organisations work in the area of human biomedical science and drug discovery which includes cancer and infectious diseases. Just over 47 percent of organisations involved in this area are from the core group. 

 

Released today, this data is from the Bioscience Survey 2009 and provides a wide range of information on the bioscience sector. In response to increased interest in bioscience, this survey replaces the previous Biotechnology Survey and gathers more information and provides a greater understanding of the complex and fast-paced industry. The survey now clearly covers organisations involved in areas such as aquaculture, medical testing, microbes, and horticulture that have applications in the fields of health foods, wine and beer manufacturing, and animal and plant breeding, as well as biotechnology.

Geoff Bascand 15 February 2010

Government Statistician