Lawrence Meredith has spent three days meeting various Dunedin leaders, including Mayor Sophie Barker, University of Otago vice-chancellor Grant Robertson, and local companies promoting Horizon Europe — the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation.
He said the programme would give New Zealand researchers access to European researchers, technology, funds and ideas.
At an event at the university, he spoke to about 100 researchers about partnering with European universities.
There were opportunities to collaborate in sustainability, clean technology and digital Artificial Intelligence.
"It gives them the opportunity to work with the top scientists and cutting-edge companies in Europe and they can share facilities.
"They’ve got to bring different expertise together for a stronger, more sustainable vision."
Mr Meredith said there were some "brilliant minds with great innovation" in Dunedin.
The aim of Horizon Europe was to bring the innovative ideas from Dunedin to the European market.
With 27 member states and 450 million people the European market presented great opportunities for the "ambitious scientist entrepreneur," he said.
"We strongly believe in the rules based international order.
"We’ve just taken tariffs off with the new free trade agreement so we’re looking to make trade easier and we’re looking to bring innovation at the heart of that."
