New business boost

BY ROMY UDANGA

A brand new business centre in the heart of Manukau needs budding entrpreneurs.

The opening of a business incubation and commercialisation centre is the latest tool in south Auckland’s plan for economic growth.

Auckland University of Technology’s business innovation centre was formally opened last week at the university’s new 640 Great South Rd campus.

The centre is an offshoot of AUT technology park, the country’s first university-owned business incubation facility, which opened in Penrose in 2001. It’s also home to the university’s commercialisation office.

AUT vice-chancellor Derek McCormick says it’s symbolic that after announcing the opening of the Manukau campus last year, the first presence at the new site is the university’s own business innovation centre.

"It says something about what we want to achieve here," he says.

Manukau mayor Len Brown says the centre’s Manukau opening is brilliant.

"It is hugely important for the city. It is essential for our entrepreneurs to hone their ideas to ensure growth.

"It provides an opportunity for businesses to develop and establish their ideas."

Centre chief executive Jonathan Kirkpatrick says the move to Manukau is logical – while in Penrose they were "constantly drawn south to business partners, expertise, entrepreneurial activity and start-up businesses".

"We developed a good working relationship with Enterprising Manukau and through that made a number of significant links.

"The incubator draws in entrepreneurs and technologies from the community, the commercialisation office draws technology and intellectual property out of the university to get it to market," he says.

One of the centre’s key tasks is "to be known by the Manukau and south Auckland communities as a tool and agent of economic growth for the region and the nation".

"We are looking to work with others in the region with an interest in and concern for business growth.

"We are looking for entrepreneurs with good ideas, technology with potential and partners who can together make the difference between unnecessary business failure and accelerated business growth."

He says the centre’s role as a business incubator is "to provide a hothouse environment through which start-up businesses can find the technical and business expertise they need to develop technology, turn it into product, raise capital and get to market".

Over the past eight years the centre has helped more than 40 successful companies, which between them have raised more than $30 million in investment capital.

It now hosts 23 early-stage technology companies.

- © Fairfax NZ News