Wellington gains new tech hub and Collider program

Wellington's innovative businesses have a new place to call home, with Wellington City Council and BizDojo launching a new tech hub and Collider program tonight.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the new hub is a key component of the council's economic development strategy. The council is funding the hub to the tune of up to $3.2 million over three years for non-commercial elements of the tech hub.

"The BizDojo Wellington will be the home of the tech hub, becoming a neutral space where everyone from technologists to coders, designers and social entrepreneurs, can come together to collaborate," Wade-Brown says.

She says the Collider program - which XXXX - and activities being hosted at the tech hub will increase connectivity amongst technology companies, start-ups, entrepreneurs, tertiary institutions, scientists and supporting institutions.

The tech hub is part of Wellington's efforts to create a 'Smart Capital'. In 2011 the Council's Economic Development Strategy set a goal of transforming Wellington into the Smart Capital and identified the creation of tech hub as a vital initiative in making this happen.

Councillor Jo Coughlan, chair of the Economic Growth and Arts Committee, says Wellington is full of innovative, rapid-growth ventures and providing the capital's entrepreneurs with a shared space to collaborate, learn, and grow was a priority when the council set its 2011 Economic Development Strategy and named eight big ideas to grow Wellington's economy last year..

"We have a great base of high tech companies already – some of them the best in the world," Coughlan says. "Now we can grow more businesses, attract more talent and give some of the world's best and brightest leaders and innovative business people a place to call home right in the heart of Wellington city.

The tech hub will consist of BizDojo's coworking space and Collider's programme of activities, located at BizDojo, 115 Tory Street.

Nick Shewring, BizDojo founder and chief entrepreneur, says the communal space and interactive culture cultivated in BizDojo creates an ecosystem where access to expertise and support can be provided over a coffee in the kitchen or in a more formal meeting space.

"This unique environment combined with the Collider programmes and a city full of high tech talent will help grow Wellington's reputation as the smart capital of New Zealand" says Shewring.

Collider will be located at BizDojo's co-working space at 115 Tory Street, Wellington.