Innovation Waikato Ltd

Waikato Innovation Park is New Zealand’s growth hub for Ag-Biotech businesses. This is where leading primary sector science, technology and research meet the catalyst of entrepreneurship and the growth accelerants of resourcing, collaboration, and a global pipeline of opportunities.

Waikato Innovation Park has been established from a public/private partnership to enhance Waikato economic growth by strengthening innovation in the region’s world-leading agritech and Ag-Bio sectors.

The park is located on 17 hectares of land next to the world famous Ruakura Research Centre – home to a number of Crown Research Institutes – and close to the University of Waikato campus. Innovation Waiakto Ltd is the operating company for the park and offers several services to the residents including Tech Spring Board, Technology Incubator, Commercialisation Office , Commercial Tenancies and the Ag Bio Cluster.

TECH SPRINGBOARD

The Tech Springboard programme is an intensive 14-week programme for early stage ventures which is mentored and supported by some of New Zealand’s most successful technology commercialisers. Tech Springboard helps participants test a technology-based idea, develop a robust business plan and prepare for investor presentations. 

TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR

Waikato Innovation Park’s Technology Incubator gives high-potential businesses the best environment for growth. Businesses receive intensive growth treatment, supported by mentors and advisory services, access to capital, as well as excellent operational support. 

COMMERCIALISATION OFFICE

A range of specialised professional skills support Waikato Innovation Park tenants from the commercialisation office. Ready access to patent attorneys, venture capitalists, accountancy and business services strengthen business growth and investor confidence.

COMMERCIAL TENANCIES

A Waikato Innovation Park address is a valuable asset for Ag-Bio and technology businesses. Tenancy flexibility allows park-based companies to grow their space as they need to, with the ultimate potential to design and build their own premises on the 17 hectare park. Here they benefit from enhanced opportunity-capture, collaboration, economies of scale and profile.

AG-BIO CLUSTER

The Ag-Bio New Zealand Cluster is managed from the park, providing non resident businesses with many of the advantages enjoyed by park-based businesses. Ag-Bio New Zealand is very successful, encouraging active networking of sector-related businesses to foster collaboration, capability building, and innovation within the region and industry. The AgBio New Zealand Cluster is an important mechanism to leverage the:

• $7m investment by NZTE and the Waikato Region in the Waikato Innovation Park,

• 1000 PhD scientists located within the region

• 25% of NZ research spend allocated within the regions research institutions

• 70 companies of the AgBio Cluster that contribute to 19% of NZs total export earnings. 

The cluster has achieved significant social capital building and has had many anecdotal successes as well as: 

• Over 15 events for the Waikato Ag-Bio Cluster in the last year with an estimated 800 attendances

• Hosted trade delegations from Iowa, several from China, Argentina, Chile, UK and Japan

• Collaborated to design and secure the cluster brand – AgBio New Zealand

• Establishment of the AgBio New Zealand web site www.agbio.org.nz

• Building of relationships with WARF and Iowa State University

• Initiation of the “Traceability” project in collaboration with MediaLab 

• Initiating of the “Bio-Manufacturing” pilot plant

The cluster is poised to progress past the phase of building social capital towards winning multi million dollar contracts for the cluster participants. The first programme of work required is to bring together and implement the disparate Agritechnologies to provide ‘plug and play’ flexibility to the farmer when purchasing the Agritechnologies that best deliver value to them.

Innovation Waikato Ltd
Derek Fairweather
PO Box 9466
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton
New Zealand
Phone:  +64 7 857 0500
Fax:  +64 7 857 0501
Email:  derek@innovationwaikato.co.nz
Website:  www.innovationwaikato.co.nz