Collaborative research, trusted governance and commercial innovation
Trust Alliance New Zealand (TANZ) is an incorporated society that brings together organisations and individuals to advance trusted digital identity, data interoperability, governance and artificial intelligence across agriculture and the wider food and fibre sector.
TANZ operates as a collaborative research, development and innovation organisation. It provides a neutral environment in which members, industry organisations, research institutions and government agencies can investigate shared challenges, develop common frameworks and demonstrate emerging technologies.
Our operating model separates collaborative research and governance from the independent commercial activities of participating members.
This enables organisations to work together on shared industry challenges while retaining the ability to develop, deploy and commercialise their own technologies and services.
TANZ operates under its Constitution, which establishes the Society’s objectives, governance responsibilities, financial management requirements and arrangements for member participation.
The Constitution supports collaboration, innovation, industry efficiency, trusted information sharing and the development of digital technologies.
It also establishes safeguards relating to conflicts of interest, financial management, confidentiality and intellectual property.
TANZ is governed by its Board, which is responsible for overseeing the Society’s activities and ensuring that projects and organisational decisions are managed in accordance with its constitutional obligations.
The Constitution provides the foundation for TANZ’s operations, supported by formal membership arrangements, project agreements and other contractual instruments.
Read the TANZ Constitution.
TANZ facilitates collaborative research and development projects that address shared challenges across agriculture, food production, supply chains and related industries.
These projects may involve members, government agencies, research organisations, technology providers and other industry participants.
Research activities may include:
Projects are designed to generate practical knowledge, demonstrate new approaches and establish foundations that participating organisations can build upon.
Where appropriate, research findings, standards and reference materials are made publicly available to encourage wider industry adoption.
TANZ identifies research and innovation opportunities, develops project proposals, secures funding and oversees the delivery of collaborative projects.
Funding may be provided by government agencies, industry organisations, research programmes, commercial partners or other sources.
TANZ provides the institutional governance and project management required to deliver funded activities. Depending on the project, these responsibilities may include financial administration, procurement, contractual oversight, coordination, reporting and management of project deliverables.
A portion of project funding is allocated to TANZ to meet the costs of these governance, administration and management responsibilities.
The balance is applied to project delivery in accordance with approved budgets, funding agreements and contractual commitments.
This approach enables funders to engage with a single accountable organisation while drawing on the specialist capabilities of multiple participating organisations.
TANZ projects are delivered through collaboration with members and, where appropriate, external organisations.
Members may participate in funded projects where their expertise, capabilities and resources align with the requirements of the work.
Participation is subject to agreed project scopes, deliverables, budgets and contractual arrangements. TANZ membership does not automatically confer an entitlement to funded project work.
Where additional expertise or specialist services are required, TANZ may engage external suppliers through a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or another appropriate procurement process.
Procurement and project participation arrangements are managed in accordance with the Society’s constitutional obligations, applicable funding conditions and relevant agreements.
The Constitution provides for appropriate commercial remuneration to members supplying professional, business or other services, subject to its requirements and safeguards.
This enables TANZ to coordinate collaborative projects while maintaining appropriate separation between governance responsibilities and commercial service delivery.
TANZ recognises that collaborative research and commercial innovation can operate alongside one another.
Its Constitution establishes provisions governing intellectual property belonging to members and intellectual property belonging to the Society.
Members generally retain ownership of intellectual property they independently develop, subject to the applicable constitutional and contractual arrangements.
TANZ may also own intellectual property developed or acquired by the Society.
For collaborative projects, the ownership, licensing, use and commercialisation of intellectual property are determined by the relevant project agreements.
Project outputs may include publicly available research, open standards, reference architectures, software, data models and technologies retained by participating organisations.
TANZ members may independently develop and commercialise technologies and services arising from their own work or from collaborative activities where they hold the necessary rights.
TANZ does not automatically acquire ownership of technologies simply because their developers are members of the Society.
This model supports shared research and industry-wide innovation while enabling participating organisations to establish sustainable commercial activities.
TANZ recognises that effective collaboration requires both openness and appropriate protection of confidential information.
The Constitution includes confidentiality provisions, supported where necessary by formal agreements between participating organisations.
TANZ may use mutual Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to facilitate preliminary discussions, research collaborations and the exchange of commercially sensitive information.
Project-specific agreements may establish additional requirements relating to confidentiality, intellectual property, data access, publication and permitted use.
These arrangements enable organisations to explore collaborative opportunities while protecting legitimate commercial interests and sensitive information.
TANZ Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement — available on request.
TANZ’s operating model enables research and innovation to progress from initial investigation through to practical demonstration and independent commercial deployment.
TANZ provides the collaborative environment, governance frameworks and project coordination needed to investigate shared industry challenges.
Participating members contribute specialist expertise, research capabilities and technology development.
Where commercially viable opportunities emerge, members may independently develop, deploy and support technologies and services under their respective intellectual property and commercial arrangements.
FarmID provides an example of this approach.
Research into trusted agricultural identity, digital credentials and interoperability has contributed to the development of technologies that connect agricultural enterprises, land, activities and authoritative information.
FarmID is a technology platform developed and commercially deployed by TANZ members. It is distinct from TANZ’s role as a collaborative research and governance organisation.
This distinction enables TANZ to support industry-wide innovation without requiring the Society itself to become the commercial provider of the technologies developed by its members.
TANZ welcomes participation from organisations interested in collaborative research, trusted digital infrastructure, governance, interoperability and responsible artificial intelligence.
Organisations can engage with TANZ through membership, participation in research projects, collaborative funding arrangements, technical workshops and industry initiatives.
Our approach provides a structured environment for organisations to investigate shared challenges, contribute specialist capabilities and explore new opportunities for innovation.
Interested in collaborating?
Become a TANZ Member | Explore Our Projects | Contact TANZ
Trust Alliance New Zealand Incorporated operates under its Constitution and applicable membership, funding and project agreements. This page provides a general explanation of the Society’s operating model and does not replace those governing documents.
