Massey partnership aims to grow Taranaki business

Taranaki businesses will be able to tap into world-class expertise to help them grow, with the signing of an innovative agreement between Venture Taranaki and Massey University tomorrow.

University Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says the partnership aims to expand longstanding research, teaching and alumni connections between Massey and the Taranaki region's business sector and wider communities.

"Geographically, we are the local university of Taranaki; we have a strong association with the region, and many of Massey's strengths – food, agriculture, engineering and sustainability – are amongst the drivers of the Taranaki economy," Mr Maharey says.

"In recent years local research projects and collaborations involving Massey staff and postgraduate students have focussed on agri-food, business development, sustainability and volcanic risk management. Massey is keen to create even more pathways for Taranaki businesses to access Massey expertise and qualifications."

He says the partnership is exciting and unique. "I don’t know of any other university and economic development agency in the country that has signed a memorandum of understanding of this nature."

Venture Taranaki chief executive Stuart Trundle is similarly excited by the potential of the partnership, which adds further currency to the development agency’s position as the link between Taranaki businesses and a range of other national research and development assistance programmes.

“While our region has had a long and successful relationship with Massey to meet individual training and learning needs, this new partnership raises the bar to connect businesses and the University across specific industries, research areas and skills,” Mr Trundle says.

“Businesses will benefit from a greater ability to take innovations to commercialisation and the region will benefit from having a high profile and successful university represented here.”

A key outcome of the partnership will be a newly appointed Massey staff member in Taranaki who will manage and develop joint initiatives between the university and the region’s businesses.
“Having that person on the ground in Taranaki will be important to ensure opportunities that could benefit from access to Massey’s collective knowledge and expertise can be fully realised,” Mr Trundle says.

The new partnership has been developed over several months with a range of Taranaki companies, and will be formally launched at an event in New Plymouth tomorrow.

Background information about Massey’s Taranaki connections:

• Massey has about 1000 students currently enrolled from Taranaki at either of Massey’s three campuses at Albany, Manawatü, Wellington or studying at a distance. Contributing schools include: Coastal Taranaki School, Francis Douglas Memorial College, Hawera High School, Inglewood High School, New Plymouth Girls’ High School, New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Opunake High School, Sacred Heart Girls' College, Spotswood College and St Mary's Diocesan School.

• Of our extensive alumni worldwide, 3000 live in Taranaki. Graduates from the region include Cabinet minister Steven Joyce, Queen’s Birthday Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit recipient Dale Copeland, Port of Taranaki chief executive Roy Weaver, Mäori language campaigner Dr Ruakere Hond and former New Plymouth mayor Peter Tennent.

• Two members of the Massey University Council, Tiri Porter and Kura Denness are from Taranaki. As is Assistant Vice-Chancellor (External Relations) Cas Carter.

• Massey’s senior leadership team are in Taranaki tomorrow and Thursday for a planning workshop in New Plymouth. They will meet business and community leaders at a function tomorrow afternoon to celebrate the new partnership, developed over several months following meetings in April with Methanex in Waitara, Van Dyck Fine Foods in Bell Block, and Venture Taranaki, Puke Ariki and EcoInnovation in New Plymouth.

• Other events this week including a public lecture tomorrow evening by Professor Sir Mason Durie, the University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Mäori and Pasifika), who recently announced his retirement. On Thursday, presentations about Massey’s Master of Business Administration programme will be given at the Pukekura Breakfast Rotary Club and the New Plymouth North Rotary Club.