92 | Matai is in the process of developing a campus with a focus on community empowerment, national and international medical research, and education excellence. Matai uplifting health and well-being COMMUNITY Matai Research / Dawson Building T T Hugh de Lacy FRM2018 Ltd • Aggregate & Rock Supplies • Gravel Raft Foundation Work • General Civil Earthworks 027 634 4894 dannydrummond.frm@gmail.com GISBORNE SCAFFOLDING PROUDLY SUPPORTING Dawson Building Co & Mātai Medical Research Institute's new facility gisbornescaffolding@gmail.com 027 649 6021 436 Gladstone Road Body imaging – no, not the art of looking pretty, but the science of looking inside the living human body – will be the core research field of the Matai Medical Research Institute, the medical imaging, research and innovation centre under construction in Tairawhiti-Gisborne. Partnering with Maori-led organisations, researchers, scientists and clinicians locally and from around New Zealand, Matai aims to uplift health and well-being in the region, nationally and globally, and provide new education opportunities. Matai is a world-class medical research facility in the process of developing a campus with a focus on community empowerment, national and international medical research, and education excellence. The Matai campus acknowledges Rongowhakaata as mana whenua, embracing Te Ao Maori and working alongside iwi, their health providers and Maori-led education providers. On a 2.5ha site in the heart of Gisborne, the campus will house a state-of-the-art imaging facility, medical research spaces, modern class-rooms and lecture halls, comprehensive study areas, housing and cafe facilities, outdoor recreational areas, an educational science centre, community outreach centres and on-site accommodation. The initial multi-million dollar facility has been funded by the Lottery Significant Projects Fund, Kanoa’s Regional Strategic Partnership Fund, the Mangatawa Beale Williams Memori- “Matai will provide a platform for researchers to collaborate and innovate in cutting-edge medical research.” al Trust, and the JN and HB Williams Foundation. Matai will ultimately generate its own revenue from a variety of sources, including research grants, educational programmes, clinical and imaging services. Matai will provide a pipeline and opportunities for students in the community and around Aotearoa in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), providing mentorship and a holistic hands-on experience in medical research, imaging, innovation and Matauranga Maori. With every dollar invested in medical research generating a return of $3.90 in economic benefits, Matai has the potential to generate significant social and economic benefits. Central to the thrust of the imaging research is the soon-to-be-installed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) radiological machine. “The Matai campus meets the growing demand for medical innovation and discovery in New Zealand, as well as the aspiration to inspire and empower the local community in the STEM fields,” Matai’s CE and research director, Dr Samantha Holdsworth says. “Matai will provide a platform for researchers to collaborate and innovate in cutting-edge medical research through its multi-modal imaging and multi-disciplinary spaces.” On-site accommodation facilities will offer “a vibrant and supportive living environment with an exciting opportunity to support local innovators and talent, and attract students, scholars, and medical professionals to the region,” Dr Holdsworth says. Richard Searle, the General Manager of Economic Development at Trust Tairawhiti says that as the regional economic development agency, the trust sees enormous potential for the Matai campus to be a future foundation for education and job opportunities. “With a campus here in Tairawhiti it means our young people will not have to leave the region to experience these pathways.” The first of more than a dozen main buildings on the campus is due for completion at the end of this year with the rest being added over the following 10 to 15 years as funding is raised. “On-going investment for further development will be sought through philanthropic and corporate sponsorships and government investment, and from other organisations seeking to promote innovation and advancement in the medical field,” Dr Holdsworth says. “The campus aims to house a state-of-theart science centre providing an immersive and interactive learning experience for students of all ages.”
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