The Canterbury-based New Zealand ICT Innovation Institute (NZi3) has selected NEC as a collaborative Research Sponsor.

Based at the University of Canterbury, NZi3 will receive $90,000 from NEC over three years, as well as equipment and other support worth more than $30,000.

The sponsorship also includes the funding of two full-time postgraduate research students, whose theses will be guided and supervised by NEC.

NEC and NZi3 will collaborate on developing energy and ecology solutions to aid the Christchurch rebuild, as well as human interaction solutions such as biometrics and robotics.

Leonard Dench, general manager at NEC New Zealand, says the collaboration is part of the company’s corporate strategy to leverage its R & D capabilities.

"There are abundant research opportunities that could be explored between the two institutes,” Dench says, "and we hope to bring to market some of our new and exciting developments and technologies soon.”