Hidden among the industrial parks and suburban shops of Auckland North are a surprising number of globally successful exporters. But because their markets are overseas, Kiwis never hear about them. Unearthing and connecting these ‘hidden’ tech businesses will be the first priority for the newly-appointed director of the ‘Grow North’ initiative.
Gavin Lennox, chief executive officer, Invenco; Shaun Craill, Massey University graduate and industrial design and mechanical engineer, Invenco; Kel Marsh, director, Grow North; Dr. Rebecca Gill, Massey University lead researcher, Grow North.
Massey University, Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED) and BNZ are working together to develop a smart innovation district in the region. The partners have appointed business consultant Kel Marsh to implement a 12-month action plan as part of this ‘Grow North’ strategy.
Mr Marsh’s key priority will be to create an online database of the many technology businesses in the district so firms in the sector can better collaborate and innovate.
ICT growth in Auckland North outstrips other regions
Recent figures show ICT employment in Auckland North has grown almost twice as fast as the Auckland-wide rate for the past decade. Growing this lucrative industry offers exciting opportunities for the area, Mr Marsh says.
“There are so many amazing businesses but they remain somewhat invisible locally as they are focused on the export market.
“We have world-leading tech products and services. For example, tucked away on a quiet street in Northcote, is Invenco. They are a tech export business making huge in-roads in the lucrative self-service payment market. Already established internationally, a new partnership has now opened up the lucrative US market for them,” he explains.
Invenco chief executive Gavin Lennox expects his company’s revenue to quadruple in the next 12 months.
“We are entering the US market as a disruptive player but, importantly, we have international pedigree, a partner with a strong US presence and market factors pushing the need for our product,” he says.
“There are one million outdoor payment terminals in the US and a big proportion will need new terminal solutions in the next 18 months, so the opportunity is huge.”
Bringing hidden businesses together
Mr Lennox supports the Grow North initiative and the aim of connecting businesses, education and the community to create a better ecosystem.
“Every successful tech hub internationally has a close relationship with a university, Stanford and MIT are great examples. I think the closer collaboration between sectors can deliver strong results and I welcome this initiative from Massey University and its partners.
“One of our mechanical engineers is a Massey graduate, who actually worked on an early example of the pump self-service technology still on display at our offices. This technology was the genesis for the products we are now delivering.”
Mr Lennox says New Zealand’s economy must continue to diversify to drive growth.
“It’s the high value-add technologies and other related industries that will fuel the country’s future. The tech industry provides a real global opportunity. We would love to see more trained science-based skilled graduates coming through our schools and university systems.”
Mr Marsh says sharing knowledge and skills between industry, the education sector, government and the local community will lift the performance of the region.
Other Grow North priorities
As well as making tech exporters more visible, his priorities for the coming year include establishing baseline data on key performance measures for the area and developing a schedule of events to support collaboration opportunities, improve connections and share relevant news and updates.
This work will contribute to ATEED’s wider Auckland Innovation Plan. Key learnings will be shared with other innovation hubs, meaning ‘Grow North’ efforts can support the overall development of Auckland as an innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific region.
Massey University’s Albany campus is committed to being a knowledge hub for the Auckland North region. Bold development plans are continuing for the campus, with building work for an Innovation Sciences Complex scheduled to begin early in 2017. This will add to the recent library development, world-class student accommodation and student amenities centre, ensuring the University is continuing to grow and meet the demands of a rapidly increasing local population.