Te Haa o Manukau: Auckland's newest coworking space
South Auckland is now home to a new cooworking and makerspace for budding entrepreneurs. Te Haa o Manukau is the fruit of a partnership between The Southern Initiative (TSI), Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), and Panuku Development Auckland.
Te Haa o Manukau's rationale is rooted in Whakawhānaungatanga - relationship, kinship, sense of family connection - a relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging.
Together, all parties will play a key role in helping shape the future of South Auckland innovators and entrepreneurs which in turn is expected to contribute to growing Auckland's enterprise and innovation ecosystem.
Mayor Phil Goff opened the space this week. He says the new coworking and makerspace is a home for the entrepreneurial community to ignite its passion for creation and invention.
"There is a wealth of talent and potential here, and our aim is to help foster that talent to thrive, " says Goff.
"Te Haa o Manukau will play an important role in achieving this by nurturing budding entrepreneurs and supporting business growth.
Social enterprise Ngahere Communities is operating the space alongside corporate, academic, philanthropic, and community-based organisations.
TSA social intrapreneur Tania Pouwhare says South Auckland is home to a rich and diverse community of makers and innovators.
"With the future of work changing so rapidly, Te Haa o Manukau is a place which will nurture the skills needed for the 21st Century by cultivating a community which enhances creativity and innovation by using collaborative spaces, common values and co-designed programmes," she comments.
Tee Haa o Manukau will have a particular focus on Māori and Pasifika youth to help develop the skills budding entrepreneurs need to reach their full potential.
ATEED chief executive Nick Hill says the space is also about unlocking South Auckland's strengths as a youthful, creative, and connected population to unlock potential. The goal, he says, is to transfer that into economic prosperity for the region.
"The creative sector is a diverse and important growth sector, and a key enabler to other sectors, generating billions of dollars and in Auckland employing more than 30,000 people," comments Hill.
"Te Haa o Manukau will connect into Auckland's vibrant innovation corridor which stretches from Massey in the north to Manukau in the south paving the way for the region to become a major innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific.
"GridAKL, ATEED's innovation campus at the Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct, is the corridor's lynchpin and will work closely with Te Haa o Manukau by supporting South Auckland's creators and innovators through business collaborations, events and activation programmes.
A week of creative activations will celebrate the launch of Te Haa o Manukau has launched with a number of activities, including workshops on the Future of Work, social media and digital content creation and a Manukau Makers meetup.
