Opening of the Van der Veer Institute

Tuesday 24 May 2005

I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to open the Van der Veer Institute. The goals of the Institute are superb. It will act as a catalyst, as a drawcard for researchers and funding and as a training ground for clinicians. This is a great model for other groups.

When I was in America recently one of their top marketers suggested that Christchurch should start to sell itself as a “boutique” city offering excellence in very precise, niche markets. I thought it was an excellent idea and that it would need a lot of co-operation between sectors to get it off the ground.

I am pleased to note that in the case of this institute you are already co-operating and you are leading the way for other sectors on how to tie things together to produce a result that strengthens all the players. It is quite realistic to expect that the Van der Veer Institute will become a centre of excellence for brain research and I am sure it will take less than five years to get on the international map.

One of the fascinating things about going through some of the outward facing parts of America recently is in finding out how well we are already on the map. That’s particularly the case with what the advertising industry like to call key influencers.

We have an growing reputation as a place where innovation and insight are the order of the day. The brain research that will take place at the Van der Veer Institute will enhance this reputation.

I’m told that areas like neurochemistry are one of the fastest moving frontiers of modern science. This is one area where the positive impacts of new technology have been profound. It has made possible new discoveries that are accelerating our knowledge of the mechanics of brain function.

There may also be research cross-overs that can plug into the fact that Christchurch is already the New Zealand centre for electronics and software manufacturing.

Amongst the new sunrise industries of this century we have the great good fortune to be already involved in quite a few of them.

This Institute is another new dawn in our emergence as a city where intellect is an increasingly powerful part of our identity. It gives me great pleasure to officially open the doors today.