Waikato Innovation Park

Waikato’s vibrant business growth hub

The Waikato region has traditionally had a strong research core, and Waikato Innovation Park was established with public and charitable money to leverage economic development opportunities for the region from that research base.

The Waikato’s natural research and economic strengths are in agriculture and the environment, with the University of Waikato adding strong science and ICT capability. That’s why the Park is sited here, in the Ruakura Innovation Precinct – AgResearch, and Plant and Food are our immediate neighbours, and we’re just a short distance from the University, Dairy NZ, NIWA and other research organisations and commercial drivers of innovation.

The Park provides a dynamic business campus where collaboration between business and research organisations drives commercial growth for our resident companies.

Today, the Park houses over 40 companies employing more than 400 people on site. 83% of the Park’s companies are exporters, and collectively earnings are well in excess of $160million in 2013.  is a subsidiary company of Waikato Innovation Park, and has successfully established itself as a quality spray drying plant offering open access to NZ producers and product developers.

The size and scale of our tenant mix is varied – from early stage companies like Quantec and Zygem through to multi-nationals like TetraPak and CRV Ambreed. What these companies have in common is that they’re technology based, driven by innovation and export focussed. We’re building clusters of companies in the agritechnology, ICT and food and beverage sectors.

This tenant community centred around key sectors is the real strength of the Park – people rub shoulders at events and over a coffee, share their stories, discover useful connections, build relationships and partnerships, and find new ways forward.

Regional Business Partner
Waikato Innovation Park is proud to be the Regional Business Partner for the Waikato and for the Bay of Plenty regions. The Regional Business Partner offers business growth services and funding on behalf of both NZTE and Callaghan Innovation, and we effectively act as a ‘first port of call’ to any business looking to grow and to export. We’ve assisted hundreds of Waikato and Bay of Plenty businesses to access funding for R&D or for management skills coaching, and we’ve offered advice, connections and sign posting for many hundreds more. Read more here: .

For more information on Waikato Innovation Park, visit .