Elspeth MacRae

Currently the Chief Innovation and Science Officer, leading innovation activity across forest growing and bioproduct manufacturing activities. She led definition of Scion’s recent 2030 strategy reshape on transitioning NZ to a Circular Bioeconomy. Previously she was responsible for biorefinery, bioenergy, biodiscovery and bioplastics, packaging, 3 and 4D printing, clean technology, wood and fibre and biotech/omics activities from discovery to commercialisation.

She is on the management team for the National Science Challenge in Science and Technology for Industry focussing on materials, design and manufacturing. She was Deputy Chair of the Biopolymer Network Ltd Board until August 2019, and is a member of the New Zealand Packaging Council governance group. She is on the International Advisory committee for the Global Bioeconomy Summit, and cochairs the International Bioeconomy Forum forest bioeconomy working group with Canada. These recent global initiatives focus on replacing the petroleum/mineral/chemical/energy manufacturing activities with biobased substitutes and alternative approaches to manufacturing. She also sits on the Board for the EU virtual pilot plant programme IBISBA, and is on the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisors Rethink Plastics panel. Most recent presentations have been to the Hugo Group at their CEO retreat, Plenary Panel on Bioeconomy at the Alpbach Forum in Austria and NZ-Japan Business Council meeting in Tokyo.