Whiore has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Te Huata which will result in collaboration between the two Māori companies on seaweed related developments across the full technological and commercial spectrum.

Te Huata is a business platform established by Eastern Bay of Plenty iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui to allow it to utilise the 10,000 hectares of water space it will take control of as part of its Treaty settlement for the large-scale commercial production of seaweed.

The two parties share an interest in emerging bio-refinery approaches to optimising the value of seaweed biomass, and evolving seaweed hatchery and farming technologies. They will collaborate on technology procurement, adoption and development, as well as the development of mutually-beneficial expertise and capability on a cross-party platform that facilitates knowledge and technology transfer.

The MoU also envisages a leadership role for the partnership in the burgeoning Māori seaweed sector.

It is an exciting development heralded by Whiore’s patron Tā Tipene O’Regan and Tekou Rikirangi Gage, CEO of Te Rūnanga o te Whānau, the two signatories to the MoU.

“This is now a two-hulled waka that can take us on an even more expansive journey,” Whiore CEO Alan Groves commented post-signing.