Govt helps give Chch high-tech sector new home

The Government is investing $1.8 million over the next three years to support the development of a high-tech business hub in central Christchurch, Minister for Economic Development Steven Joyce announced today.

Mr Joyce said the Ministry of Science and Innovation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise were working in partnership with Christchurch City Council and the private sector to establish the Enterprise Precinct and Innovation Campus (EPIC) on the corner of Tuam and Manchester Streets.

“EPIC will give 16 high-tech Christchurch businesses, which have been without permanent homes since the February 2011 earthquake, a much needed base for their operations,” Mr Joyce says.

“This Government wants to ensure Christchurch remains an attractive place for the high-tech sector and the people working there. This is part of our wider support package for businesses that have been affected by the earthquake, and is a great example of a public-private partnership to encourage growth opportunities for Christchurch.”

The Christchurch City Council has provided land rent-free for five years for EPIC, which is one of the projects detailed in the draft Central City Recovery Plan as a catalyst to bring people and businesses back to the central city. EPIC has been supported and financed by the Bank of New Zealand and underwritten by the Canterbury Business Recovery Trust.

Mr Joyce said the development of EPIC also provides the opportunity to position Christchurch as a centre for high-tech innovation and allows for commercial collaborations between science and businesses.

“It complements other Government support for the high-tech sector, such as the pending development of an Advanced Technology Institute, and the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Francisco, which gives New Zealand companies the chance to expand their operations into the US market,” Mr Joyce says.