New Zealand Grants $20 M to Expand Gisborne Medical Research Centre

The Regional Infrastructure Fund has approved a $20 million loan to build a new three‑storey Mātai Innovation Centre next to the existing Mātai Imaging Research Centre in Gisborne. The $28.4 million project will house primary‑care research facilities, specialist clinics, a day‑procedure unit, education spaces and supporting infrastructure, including parking. Once operational, the centre is expected to create more than 150 full‑ and part‑time roles and double research and education placements to over 100 a year by 2035. Construction will generate about 70 jobs and is slated for completion by April 2029, pending design milestones and consents. Partners on the project include Trust Tairāwhiti and Gisborne Holdings Limited, the commercial arm of Gisborne District Council. The expansion builds on Mātai’s pioneering work in advanced imaging and neuroscience, broadening access to high‑level diagnostic and specialist services that have previously been limited to larger urban centres.