The $17 million Christie building was a joint venture between AgResearch and the University of Otago into the study of livestock and human reproduction, health and disease and mammalian reproductive control.
Former AgResearch chairman Rick Christie, for whom the building was named, said collaboration between scientists was the way of the future, but that collaboration needed to be more than scientists talking to each other.
Mr Christie said collaboration bore fruit when parties made an infrastructural investment.
Animal reproduction research failed to get the desired funding during the last round of grants from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology, but AgResearch chief executive Andy West was confident the new centre would prove itself and get the required funding in the future.
Current AgResearch chairman Sam Robinson said the New Zealand economy would benefit from the research undertaken at the centre.
"New Zealand thrives whenever a cow has a calf, a ewe has a lamb, preferably two, and a hind has a fawn."
The new building will initially house 50 scientists and support staff from both AgResearch and Otago University, rising soon to 70.
