Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) researchers will collaborate with the Oden Institute at the University of Texas to develop physics-informed AI computational modelling, supported by a $4.5 million grant from New Zealand’s Catalyst Fund. Announced by the Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Dr Shane Reti, the funding will advance the New Zealand–United States Digital Twin Research programme, enabling both countries to combine expertise, tools, and data to accelerate scientific discoveries and provide New Zealand with access to cutting-edge technology.
At ABI, Minister Reti highlighted that existing AI research in areas such as precision health and agriculture will expand through this collaboration, creating high-value jobs, supporting commercialisation, and strengthening research capabilities. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater emphasized that the partnership will foster innovation in digital twin technology across fields including precision health, agricultural biotechnology, and population health. ABI Director Professor Merryn Tawhai noted that the collaboration also involves two New Zealand public research organisations (PROs)—PHF Science and the Bioeconomy Science Institute—to develop predictive models for crop health, yield, and plant treatments, boosting the country’s agricultural innovation.
Professor Karen E. Willcox, Director of the Oden Institute and University of Auckland alumna, welcomed the partnership, noting ABI’s global leadership in computational modelling for medicine and human physiology. The collaboration will combine ABI’s expertise in digital twin models with the Oden Institute’s AI research to create physics-informed AI systems. Unlike conventional AI, which identifies patterns in data, these models integrate fundamental laws of physics—such as blood flow or plant growth—making predictions more scientifically grounded, reliable, and trustworthy.
The applications of this collaboration are broad, spanning pharmacological modelling to reduce drug development costs, tools for clinical decision-making, public health management, and population health models. The funding also supports joint work with New Zealand’s leading agricultural and horticultural scientists, aiming to drive innovation and practical solutions in both the biomedical and agricultural sectors.
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