New RNA Development Platform

This will look to:

• build domestic capabilities,
• bring together those already working on RNA,
• address issues such as technology transfer,
• strengthen international research and development collaborations, and
• build commercial partnerships in areas such as production.

As a next step the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will seek agreement from Ministers to a set of high-level priorities which the Platform will be tasked to deliver. This will reflect the needs of our research community as well as industry partners, while contributing to the objective of supporting future pandemic preparedness for New Zealand.

Following this, MBIE will run an open and transparent procurement process which will identify a host or hosts to manage the Platform on a day-to-day basis. We will expect the host to engage with a wider consortium of partners to determine how to deliver on the identified priorities. We expect to set out further details on this process in due course.

A booster for RNA research and development(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz