ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
Here I met with Joel Umali, Specialist Advisor for
the ‘Southern Initiative’ with Auckland Council. The
Ngahere Communities space seeks to cultivate
communities that enhance creativity and innovation
by using collaborative spaces and co-designed
programmes. The space is designed to create a
space for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive,
especially for Maori and Pasifika communities.
The co-working space includes eight permanent
desk spaces and 32 shared desk spaces, three
meeting areas for breakouts, private meetings or
group presentations.
The importance of promoting entrepreneurship
in Manukau cannot be understated, considering
high rates of poverty and obesity and low rates of
educational attainment, personal income and home
ownership.
Following Council’s significant investment in
GridAKL in central Auckland, Manukau is Auckland
Council’s next priority for place-making investment.
Council’s Transform Manukau initiative seeks
to address the lack of existing space to create
or promote entrepreneurism in Manukau and
to promote grass-roots innovation within the
community. I look forward to visiting Ngahere
Communities in the future to find out how things
have progressed.
Auckland Council’s approach to GridAKL and Manukau
demonstrates that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to
fostering digital innovation and collaboration. By carefully
understanding the needs of the community and the
importance of diversifying its economy, Auckland Council
has adapted its offering to two diverse market segments.
In an Australian context, economic development
practitioners and Councils need to consider how place-
based planning can extend beyond renewal of physical
infrastructure and broaden the remit of place-based
planning to build the capacity of communities to access the
digital economy and increase employment options.
PLUG AND PLAY TECH CENTER,
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA
In the heart of Silicon Valley, you’ll find the Plug
and Play Tech Center with its mission ‘to make
innovation open to anyone, anywhere’.
Plug and Play aims to be the ultimate innovation
platform bringing together the best start-ups and the
world’s largest corporations.
During my tour with Andrew Hans Chang,
Associate, International and Government Relations,
it became clear that Plug and Play’s reach extends
well beyond US borders and seeks to bridge the
gap between countries around the world and Silicon
Valley. Plug and Play works with international
government agencies, technology incubators and
universities to source, identify and accelerate
the most promising start-ups from various global
ecosystems and is currently working with partners
from over 25 countries.
Plug and Play works with
international government agencies,
technology incubators and
universities to source, identify and
accelerate the most promising start-
ups from various global ecosystems
and is currently working with
partners from over 25 countries.
Plug and Play’s all-in-one Start Up Ecosystem
model includes:
• Mentoring
• Logistics
• Networking including daily events
• Corporate innovation
• Investment
Major companies base their innovation teams on
site at Plug and Play to get access to the talent pool
working within the office space. This way, major
corporates are able to gain a competitive edge by
attracting innovators to help solve problems and
remain competitive.
Open-plan office space at GridAKL, Auckland.
Plug and Play, like the other digital innovation
spaces I visited in New Zealand and the US, focus
heavily on hosting events to gather a critical mass
of people and increase the cross-pollination of
ideas between digital innovators and to help foster
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