A pragmatic platform for New Zealand businesses to shape the future resilience and productivity – by testing real solutions, on real assets, with real outcomes.
Futures Challenge Network (NZ)
Overview of the challenge
The Futures Challenge Network (NZ) is a practical, open innovation challenge designed to help New Zealand companies discover and explore global innovations relevant to their productivity, climate resilience, and long-term competitiveness in the market.
The Futures Challenge provides a structured way for organisations to engage with high-quality solutions from leading international ecosystems, while remaining closely aligned with their own operational priorities. It is designed to complement existing innovation and strategy activities, offering additional perspective, access, and structure rather than replacing internal efforts.
The opportunity to participate
Businesses operating across land and asset-linked sectors are navigating increasing complexity, from climate variability and cost pressure to evolving regulatory, customer, and market expectations. Many organisations are actively exploring innovation, but doing so in a way that is focused, efficient, and well-timed can be challenging.
Through participation in the Futures Challenge, organisations benefit from:
- Access to curated global innovations, with early visibility of relevant solutions from New Zealand and leading international ecosystems
- Structured, practical support from corporate innovation specialists, providing a clear framework to explore new approaches & derisk the translation of priority challenges into testable opportunities
- Clear pathways to scale in line with business priorities, with insights and evidence to inform adoption, partnership, or expansion decisions
- Position yourself as a founding partner in regional future economies
The Futures Challenge
The Challenge follows a clear and disciplined process:
Corporate-led challenge scoping & communication
Expert support to define 1-2 priority challenges linked to operational or strategic focus.
Curated solution scouting & shortlisting
Global scouting for high-quality solutions, prioritising practical readiness, evidence of traction and fit with New Zealand conditions.
Pilot scoping & facilitation
Time-bound, focused pilots with expert guidance designed to test specifc business and impact goals.
Evaluate & Adopt pathways to scale impact
Review outcomes and identify next steps for adoption, scale or partnership.
A place-based approach to innovation
The Futures Challenge connects New Zealand organisations to global innovation eco-systems, and is an online programme available nationwide. But it is connected to place through deep local connections to land and landowners.
New Zealand offers a distinctive setting for practical innovation, shaped by long-term stewardship and strong ties between land and enterprise. The Futures Challenge builds on this context by offering opportunity to connect with a real-world environment where new approaches can be explored thoughtfully and with a long-term view.
Focus areas for challenge alignment (over a 10 year programme)
Agriculture and Food systems
Resource efficiency
Sustainable tourism
Natural capital: Carbon and biodiversity
Access to global expertise for local impact
The Futures Challenge Network (NZ) is delivered through a partnership between Criffel Futures and Better Earth Ventures, bringing together complementary strengths.
Criffel Futures, New Zealand, provides local leadership, regional credibility, and practical experience working with land, business, and communities. Better Earth Ventures, Singapore, contributes access to a curated global network of solution providers and proven capability in designing and delivering structured corporate innovation programmes. Together, the partnership ensures the Challenge is well-grounded in the local context while giving participating organisations access to high-quality global innovation and experienced programme delivery.