Industrial Research Limited

Industrial Research Limited
Te Tauihu Pūtaiao
Industrial Research Limited logo
Agency overview
Formed1 April 1992 (1992-04-01)
Preceding agency
Dissolved1 February 2013 (2013-02-01)
Superseding agency
Headquarters69 Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt
41°13′57″S 174°55′8″E / 41.23250°S 174.91889°E / -41.23250; 174.91889
Employees350
Agency executives
  • Shaun Coffey, Chief Executive
  • Michael Ludbrooke, Chair
Websitewww.irl.cri.nz
Original logo used 1992–2007

Industrial Research Limited (IRL) was a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand that was established in 1992 and merged into Callaghan Innovation, a new Crown entity, on 1 February 2013.[1] IRL provided research, development and commercialisation services aimed at fostering industry development, economic growth and business expansion. It was established when the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was disbanded and its staff and assets redistributed to form the research institutes in 1992.

Like many New Zealand entities, its logo incorporated a Māori identity, in this case "Te Tauihu Pūtaiao", where Te Tauihu is the prow or leading edge of a waka (Māori war canoe) and Pūtaiao means science. The phrase is a metaphor for the way science and technology can open up new opportunities for New Zealand businesses.[2]

IRL was based at Gracefield in Lower Hutt, and had offices in Auckland and Christchurch.

After 10 years of operation, IRL commissioned a book, The Littlest Clue,[3] which followed the history of several scientists and their projects as they took their ideas from the lab to the market place.

In 2009, IRL ran a competition What's Your Problem New Zealand? to win up to $1 million of research and development services, receiving over 100 entries.[4]

  1. ^ Eskow, Simon (1 February 2013). "Callaghan Innovation touted as business enabler". Business Day.
  2. ^ Briefly... Innovate 68, 26 August 2008
  3. ^ Parker, Selwyn. The Littlest Clue: The Resurgence of New Zealand Science and Technology, Industrial Research Limited, 2002. ISBN 0909040915
  4. ^ "Resene wins $1 million research competition". Radio New Zealand. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2011.