A major international conference that's expected to bring up to 500 marine scientists to Tauranga next year is being touted as a direct outcome of a mayoral delegation trip to China and South Korea earlier this year.

The second International Conference for Coastal Biotechnology will be held in Tauranga in May 2017 and will also brings together the second NZ/Australia Biotechology meeting and the NZ Aquaculture Research Consortium.

Tauranga city mayor Stuart Crosby with Yantai City mayor Jai Zhang Yongxia celebrating the 30 year relationship between the two cities in April. Photo: Supplied

The report on the trip which cost ratepayers $27,447.18, will be received by the Tauranga City Council's Monitoring Committee during their meeting today.

Also from the eight day trip comes an agreement to host a marine industry delegation/workshop in Tauranga in December 2016. The workshop will focus on fast tracking proof of concept stages for seaweed aquaculture to supply both China and Australia/NZ producers of high grade fertilizers, cattle feeds and other high value seaweed products.

The intent of the workshop is to establish a formal business partnership by the end of the year. Four Chinese companies are indicating they'll attend the workshop, and Priority One is working with University of Waikato on identifying appropriate local/NZ companies. A Yantai business delegation is visiting Tauranga next month.

The trip, which celebrated the 30 year anniversary of the sister city relationship between Tauranga and Yantai in China, also advanced an agreement between the University of Waikato and the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research to establish the Sino-NZ Coastal Innovation Partnership.

This agreement expresses mutual interest in research and commercial opportunities in marine biotechnology and aquaculture. A specific area of interest is in algal aquaculture for agrichemicals.

Professor Chris Battershill from the University of Waikato Coastal Marine Field Station at Tauranga, was one of the Tauranga delegates.

In South Korea, the delegation established a relationship with the Mayor of Ansan, to enable Coastal Marine Group to cooperate and provide advice on the city's marina developments.

Chris is also establishing a relationship between the university group and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology to explore areas of mutual research interest and future student exchange.

A direct result of the Ansan visit is a delegation from Education Tauranga is returning to the Chinese city in September. In addition to re-visiting Ansan, it will participate in a Tauranga education fair held at COEX in Seoul and BEXCO in Busan.

The delegation also confirmed arrangements for a student delegation from Ansan to study in Tauranga. Twelve Ansan students will study at Waiariki-Bay of Plenty Polytechnic for three weeks in August 2016, where they will participate in English language classes and have cultural experiences in the region.

The mayoral report on the trip states there is also interest in exploring academic linkages between Yantai University and Waikato University, with initial interest from 50 Chinese MSc students to come to Tauranga facilitated by the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research.

There's also interest in exploring the potential for a new University of Waikato degree in Tauranga - Bachelor of Applied Science which would be attractive to Chinese students, and provide pathways for local secondary and polytechnic students.

Mayor Stuart Crosby led the delegation, which included Priority One's Greg Simmonds, Education Tauranga's Anne Young, plus Rachel Yoo and Inhey Kim from Takara Restaurant. The delegation spent eight days in South Korea and China in April strengthening science and education connections.

Kathy Colville, Annemieke Hart and seven students from Tauranga Intermediate School also accompanied the delegation for several days as part of the official 30th anniversary celebration of sister city relations between Tauranga and Yantai.