21-22 October 2025, Rotorua, New Zealand
Pioneering Sustainable Innovations for Tomorrow. Join industry leaders, researchers, and innovators, where the latest advancements in sustainable bioproducts and forest-based materials come to life. Be part of shaping a $30 billion bioeconomy.
Event Summary
Hosted by Innovatek in partnership with Scion & Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, the inaugural Bioeconomy Innovations 2025 event was a premier forum for the bio-products industry, and offered insights into the high-value opportunities within forestry bioeconomy.
The event, combined with our long-standing Wood Residues2Revenues Conference, saw close to 300 delegates take in the latest innovations and technologies for extracting energy and value from wood fibres. This was our largest and most comprehensive conference of 2025.
With over 32 speaker presentations from a range of local experts and overseas innovators, delegates were also full of questions during the 16 Question & Answer Panel sessions over the two days of the conference in Rotorua.
Conference delegates were also treated to the launch of a new Government “Wood Energy Strategy and Action Plan” by Hon Simon Watts, Minister for Energy.
Coinciding with the two conference was the official launch of the $63 million research factory processing biowaste into chemicals, glues and bioplastics will turbocharge the biotechnology sector when it opens in Rotorua next year. The biofactory will be a commercial-scale facility that will transform low-value wood, food waste and animal products into high-value ingredients, which its promoters say will change industries and create new ones.
The factory is to be built on the Rotorua Campus of the Bioeconomy Science Institute. The facility is charged with two main research aims – identifying opportunities in the wood fibre, pulp, biopolymer, packaging and biochemical industries and from their biomass side stream, and increasing New Zealand’s energy security through the use of forest and waste biomass for bioenergy.
As demand for sustainable solutions grows, this event serves as a launchpad for innovations that replace petrochemical products with renewable forest resources. Attendees gained access to pioneering research, new technologies, and actionable strategies to lead in this multi-billion-dollar market.
Next Event
Planning for future events has already started. If you, or one of your colleagues, is interested in presenting, please forward details to events@innovatek.co.nz. We would especially like to hear about recent trials and the integration of research into your operations. If you are willing to share lessons from the roll-out of new technology or smart operating practices with a wider audience, we’d like to hear from you.
Who Attended
- Producers & Consumers of Biobased Materials
- Traders & Distributors
- Suppliers of Raw Materials (Forest Managers, Pulp Mills, etc)
- Business Leaders, Banks & Investors
- Scientists & Researchers
- Entrepreneurs & Innovators
- Government & Policy Makers
- Environmental & Sustainability Professionals
- Manufacturers & Product Developers
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
We always receive strong interest in the sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities available. For a full range of future sponsorship, exhibition and branding options, please contact our Marketing & Sponsorship Manager on (+64) 7 921 1384 or sponsorship@innovatek.co.nz.
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