Congratulations to Federation of Māori Authorities (FOMA), Te Awanui and Ligar on the launch of the Solutions Lab and Bioactives Refinery Project on 13 August 2020.

The Solutions Lab will focus on high-value horticulture and plant-based food opportunities and is part of FOMA’s vision to create a high-tech, innovation-based Māori economy and accelerate this by leveraging off the post-Covid recovery.

Te Awanui has largely funded the first Solutions Lab as it seeks to grow revenue through expanding and deepening the impact of horticultural activities, exploring new product ranges, and building capacity.

The Bioactives Refinery Project is a partnership between Te Awanui and the clean technology company Ligar. The project will target bioactive molecules, extracted from plants and refined using Ligar’s unique purification technology, which have commercial potential. The project has begun reviewing the bioactive content in the waste streams from avocado and kiwifruit production. Other plant species, such as hops, hemp seeds and seaweed, as well as native flora species, will be reviewed in the future.

Te Awanui and Ligar are actively seeking commercialisation partners.

WaikatoLink is proud to be an investor in Ligar.