Marlborough Research Centre

MRC was established in 1984 by a group of far-sighted horticulturalists, farmers and local government who saw the need for locally based scientific research to help the province progress. A Charitable Trust was set up at that time to ensure the Marlborough region made the best use of its natural resources by assisting innovative research and technical development in agriculture, pastoral, horticultural and viticulture production.

The Marlborough Research Centre Trust secured initial funding from primary sector producers and business. Today, the Trust owns and manages MRC properties in Blenheim and Grovetown and MRC works closely with the Marlborough District Council, Crown Research Institutes and other key sector groups and organisations.

MRC’s main campus is at 85 Budge Street, Blenheim. Under the umbrella of MRC, the Wine Research Centre was established in 2003. This is based at the Budge Street campus with executive offices, laboratories, teaching winery and a lecture theatre. This campus is shared with Plant & Food Research, Sustainable Winegrowing NZ, Wine Marlborough, Bragato Research Institute and NZ Dryland Forests Innovation.

MRC’s Grovetown Park campus is 2km away, on State Highway 1. This is a commercial campus with tenants ranging from the Ministry for Primary Industries, Hill Laboratories to a variety of commercial businesses and research organisations. The adjacent 10-hectare Rowley Vineyard at Grovetown is part of the MRC operation, the site of research trials and a sauvignon blanc vineyard.

Many success stories have eventuated over forty years with the most significant being the opening of the New Zealand Wine Centre in 2022 on the Budge Street Campus.