Our Stakeholders, Relationships and CollaborationsŌ Mātau Hunga Whai Pānga, Ngā Hononga me Ngā Mahi Tahi

One of our key roles is to help keep New Zealanders safe from the harm posed by natural hazards. We do this in partnership with EQC, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Toitu - Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and MBIE. Our expertise informs and influences the development of risk-related policies, regulations and industry standards.

We collaborate with other CRIs and universities to research the causes, risks and consequences of geological hazards, and we actively engage with iwi/Māori, local authorities and the insurance industry to ensure they have the tools and information to understand and manage risks in their communities.

Our environment and climate research is undertaken as part of a national effort involving government ministries and agencies, other CRIs involved in environmental management (ESR, NIWA and the Cawthron Institute), Science New Zealand, all of our tertiary institutions, local and regional councils and a range of resource-specific science and research alliances.

The relationships we have with iwi/Māori ensures the principles of participation, protection and partnership underpin our environment and climate activities. We also work alongside primary industry stakeholders to identify research priorities, resolve and mitigate issues, and assist them to sustainably manage New Zealand’s precious natural resources.

Because environment and climate issues don’t respect borders, our work also involves working with a range of international stakeholders, including foreign governments, international research centres and aid agencies.  

GNS is considered New Zealand’s ‘energy CRI’. We work very closely with MBIE, other central and local government agencies and the New Zealand energy sector, including suppliers, generators and industry representative groups, to undertake research, gather data, discover and innovate.

We operate one of the world’s pre-eminent geothermal research centres and we have deep partnerships with iwi/Māori to understand, explore, develop and protect the geothermal energy potential of their land and resources.

Our research, data and expertise are used extensively by the energy sector, including field operators, engineers and technicians, and industrial and agricultural clients to enable energy innovation. Our collective efforts will help New Zealand achieve its net zero carbon emissions goal.

GNS work provides accurate appraisal of Aotearoa New Zealand’s on-land and offshore resource potential to enable sustainable custodianship of our natural resources. This sees us coordinating geoscience research initiatives, in collaboration with New Zealand government agencies, universities, CRIs and iwi/Māori, and alongside other countries with an interest in Zealandia and the Southern Ocean.   

Just like earth systems, Earth science is indelibly interconnected. Often our stakeholders are seeking input and expertise from across the science spectrum, so instead of them having to make the connections, GNS has embarked on a new way of engaging with, and providing services to, our stakeholders.

Communities of Practice support collective learning and engagement. Instead of ‘going it alone’ our people take a holistic approach to working with stakeholders, which ensures our disciplines are aligned to their needs.

The results? Better outcomes – whether for science, for business and industry or for our communities. Communities of Practice encourage innovation, novel and transformative approaches, better practice, and deeper relationships.

New Zealand communities are key recipients and benefactors of the work we do here at GNS. From a ‘natural hazards’ viewpoint, our communities are at risk from some of the world’s most feared natural phenomena – earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. It’s important we all understand these risks so we can prepare for them and build resilience to them.

GNS aspires to be a valued international partner and we lead numerous international initiatives designed to benefit New Zealand and global communities. As one of only two countries in the world considered ‘expert’ in geothermal energy (the other being Iceland), our facilities, research and commercial services are sought after by international governments, infrastructure providers, engineers and field operators. 

Our work on building resilience to natural hazards spans the Asia Pacific region, and we are currently engaged in projects aimed to strengthen communities in Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Latin and South America and the Caribbean.

International research collaborations and partnerships also enable GNS to grow capability, leverage co-funding and bring new knowledge and additional scientific infrastructure and equipment to New Zealand. Through strategic agreements and partnerships, GNS accesses a global network of capability and large-scale geoscience and isotope science agencies in Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy and the USA. We also hold strategic national memberships that connect us to collaborative resources, including the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and the International Continental Drilling Programme (ICDP).

Creating and sharing knowledge is a fundamental aspect of our work. One of the ways we do this is through our participation in the National Environmental Data Centre (NEDC). 

The NEDC data discovery portal helps you find and access environmental data from New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and science research organisations. This includes many of GNS Science’s key science datasets. 

Access the NEDC data discovery portal here(external link)

• GEO Camps
• Geo Trips
• Tech Week (Taranaki) 
• Geo week (Taupo)