After Steven Joyce announced an eight-member board to lead Callaghan Innovation earlier this week, the Science and Innovation minister gave his thoughts on the members.

“The Callaghan Innovation Board consists of members with a broad range of skills and expertise and the right mix of business and science experience relevant to the high-value manufacturing and services sector,” he said.

The board will be chaired by Sue Suckling, who is currently chairing the establishment board to set up the new Crown entity and has extensive experience in change management at a governance level.

IRL Board member Richard Janes, Auckland Transport director Paul Lockey and Australian company director Dr Michele Allan will also move from the establishment board to the new board.

New board members are New Zealand Trade and Enterprise director Robin Hapi, Professor Peter Hunter from Auckland University and commercial entrepreneurs Sir Peter Maire and Craig Richardson.

“Ms Suckling has successfully led the establishment phase of Callaghan Innovation, and it is important that continuity and momentum are carried forward into the implementation and operational phase,” Joyce said

“I am confident this board will successfully set up Callaghan Innovation as an organisation that is fully in tune with businesses’ needs and will help them grow through science and innovation.

"It will deliver fresh thinking and offer a diversity of perspective and experience that Callaghan Innovation will benefit from.”

The board’s key focus over the coming months will be overseeing the bedding in of Callaghan Innovation operations in Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury.

This will include bringing together the current operations of IRL, MBIE’s business investments team and the Auckland Foodbowl.

The crown entity will commence initial operations in ten days time on 1 February 2013 and is named after the late Sir Paul Callaghan, who championed the role science could play in making New Zealand an economic success.

Callaghan Innovation is a key deliverable of the Government’s Business Growth Agenda, and received funding in this year’s Budget of $166 million over four years.