Victoria University launches Taiawa Wellington Tech Hub

A new entrepreneurial co-working space has been launched at Victoria University of Wellington.

The facility, named Taiawa Wellington Tech Hub, is located within Rutherford House on the Pipitea campus of the university. It will host various high-growth companies, including climate technology firms Cogo and CarbonInvoice, botanical prescription drug developer Evithé Bio, and scientific literature review assistant Litmaps. A total of 51 desks will be available to these businesses.

Professor Stephen Cummings, Co-Director of The Atom—Te Kahu o Te Ao, the university's innovation space, expressed his enthusiasm for the new hub. He stated, "It will allow us to better work with Wellington's entrepreneurial ecosystem and create opportunities for sharing ideas between innovative businesses and our staff and students."

Cummings highlighted Rutherford House as an ideal venue for such a co-working initiative, noting, "It comes from a recognition that Rutherford House is the ideal place in the perfect location to host a co-working space like this. Opening up our buildings to the City in this way can create great synergies and value, not just for our students and researchers, but for Wellington's business community."

The establishment of Taiawa is in partnership with WellingtonNZ, the regional economic development agency. Rebekah Campbell, who leads the Technology Sector Group at WellingtonNZ, noted the importance of a cohesive workspace for fostering economic and technological growth in the region. "Wellington has a lot of individually successful tech companies, but even though it's a compact city, we can do a lot better at promoting collaboration and skill-sharing. Wellington needs its tech sector to thrive, and our mission is to create 30,000 new high-value jobs in the next decade," she explained.

Campbell emphasised the successful precedents for such hubs around the world, remarking, "We looked at other cities that have successfully accelerated the growth of their tech sectors, and a key component of every strategy is the creation of a central place where companies can work together, learn from each other and create a shared culture of ambition and collaboration. The kinds of hubs that were most successful were centred around universities."

Dr Jesse Pirini, Co-Director of The Atom, described the hub as the "culmination of years of engagement with the entrepreneurial community through The Atom, and hosting events such as Slush'D and TedX." He added, "So when the opportunity arose to work with WellingtonNZ, we leapt at it. It's great to be able to collaborate with them on this unique partnership."

Among the tenants of the tech hub is Cogo, a company assisting businesses in reducing and measuring their carbon impact. Ben Gleisner, CEO of Cogo and an alumnus of Te Herenga Waka, described the space as a "win-win-win" for all involved. "It will provide unparalleled opportunities for the companies, the wider tech industry, and for business school students that they can't get at other institutions in Aotearoa—there is the potential to collaborate on research, internships or dedicated projects. Ultimately, as we are supported to grow, there will hopefully be real jobs for students too."

Victoria University of Wellington's Vice Chancellor, Nic Smith, underscored the significance of the hub in bolstering Wellington's business sector, especially amidst challenging times. "The development of this hub is a vote of confidence in Wellington's business community, especially in the face of bad news stories around public sector lay offs. We believe in the technology and innovation industry, and we're delighted to have the chance to foster its growth."

The name "Taiawa" combines the words "tai" (ocean) and "awa" (river), symbolising the convergence of diverse entities in a collaborative space. It resonates with the communal activity of collecting pipi, reflecting the interaction and cooperation that the hub intends to nurture among businesses, staff, and students. This name was endorsed by Kura Moeahu, Rangatira of Te Āti Awa and Taranaki.