Mātai gets $20m Government loan for new innovation centre in Gisborne – NZ Herald

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Mātai Medical Research Institute and chief executive Dr Samantha Holdsworth at the announcement of a $20 million Regional Infrastructure Fund loan to expand the institute's facilities in Gisborne. Photo / Anne-Marie De Bruin
The construction of a new building at Mātai Medical Research Institute with primary healthcare research facilities, specialist clinics and a day procedure unit will be supported by a $20 million Government loan.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) loan in Gisborne today.
“In its short history, Mātai has put Tairāwhiti on the map with what it has achieved in advanced medical imaging and neuroscience research. They are true pioneers in translating preventative and predictive healthcare research into real-world health solutions,” Jones said.
“This RIF investment will give Mātai the opportunity to bring more research, technology and health-related activity into Gisborne, and create opportunities for Tairāwhiti people to develop the skills needed to take part in that growth.”
The $28.4m project will involve the construction and fit-out of a new three-storey Mātai Innovation Centre adjacent to the institute’s existing Mātai Imaging Research Centre building. It will include primary healthcare research facilities, specialist clinics, a day procedure unit, education spaces, and supporting infrastructure and parking.
A statement from the minister said it was expected Mātai will support more than 150 full- and part-time roles once the new building is operational.
“Mātai is creating pathways into education, research and high-skilled employment that would typically only be available in our big cities or overseas. It shows that cutting-edge research and innovation do not need to be concentrated in our biggest cities – our regions can and should be the drivers of innovation.”
The construction itself was expected to create about 70 jobs and be completed by April 2029, depending on design milestones and consents being secured.
Trust Tairāwhiti and Gisborne Holdings Ltd, the commercial arm of Gisborne District Council, are regional partners on the project.
Mātai chief executive Dr Samantha Holdsworth said the Innovation Centre would provide the space and infrastructure needed for the institute’s research, education and clinical programmes to expand.
“Since Mātai opened its doors, our research, education and clinical programmes have grown, along with the number of organisations and people we are working with. The next challenge is having the physical space and infrastructure to support that growth,” Holdsworth said.
“The Innovation Centre is about creating room for more people, organisations and ideas to work together on the Mātai campus and giving promising research and technology a better pathway towards clinical use, commercial development and wider impact.”
Holdsworth said a major part of the long-term vision was creating stronger local pathways into specialist careers.
“We want young people growing up in Tairāwhiti to be able to see a future here in science, health, engineering and technology. We also want researchers, health professionals and technology companies to be able to come to Gisborne, work alongside local partners and communities, and build capability here.
“A young person might first engage with science and technology through a school programme, return as an intern or scholarship student, progress into tertiary or postgraduate study, and eventually have the opportunity to build a specialist career here in Tairāwhiti. That is the kind of long-term pipeline we want this development to help make possible.”
She said Mātai’s work also helped create pathways for new specialist health services in Tairāwhiti, an example being MRI-guided prostate cancer treatment through the Hugh Green Prostate Centre.
Community and iwi partnerships will remain central to the development, she said.
Mātai worked closely with Māori health provider Tūranga Health across research, education and community initiatives. This included a methamphetamine recovery and research programme, combining community-based care with advanced imaging research examining how the brain and heart are affected by methamphetamine use and recovery.
The wider campus was intended to build on this approach, creating more opportunities for health providers, community organisations, researchers and educators to shape and develop initiatives together in Tairāwhiti.
Education and research placements at the centre are projected to double to more than 100 a year by 2035.
Mātai received an initial $6m investment from the Provincial Growth Fund and $1m from Trust Tairāwhiti in 2019, opening its doors in 2020.
It received a $1.5m grant and a $1.5m loan through the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund in 2022.
Since its inception, Mātai has secured more than $4m in research funding, philanthropic contributions, in-kind support and clinical revenue.
The design aims to protect through to 2090 against an event 25% larger than Gabrielle.

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