MBIE - Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zeland
MBIE - Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zeland
09/18/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2025 21:23
Government backs NZ–US digital twin collaboration
Government backs NZ-US digital twin collaboration
Published: 18 September 2025
Government invests up to $4.5 million in a NZ-US partnership to develop AI-powered digital twins for health and bioeconomy innovation.
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The Government is investing up to $4.5 million over 4 years in a research partnership between the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin to develop AI-enabled digital twins, which are virtual models of human biology.
By combining physics-informed AI with multiscale biophysical modelling, the project will create digital twins - virtual, data-driven replicas of organs, organisms, and ecosystems. These tools will enable personalised healthcare, accelerate drug development, and support agricultural innovation by simulating responses to genetic and environmental changes. These next generation modelling techniques have potential applications in personalised care, treatment planning, and innovation across the health system and bioeconomy.
Analysis indicates the technology could deliver cost savings in New Zealand hospitals of up to $32 million a year and generate up to $16 million in potential licensing revenue, depending on uptake and implementation.
Funding is through the MBIE-administered Catalyst Fund. The programme will be in 2 phases, each phase will be 2 years. The second phase depends on getting US federal funding.
The United States is a key science and innovation partner for New Zealand, and this collaboration builds on shared strengths in bioengineering and artificial intelligence.
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MBIE - Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zeland published this content on September 18, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 18, 2025 at 03:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]