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Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Initiatives - Entrepreneur Business Development, Mentors, Resources & Support - Opportunity Hamilton

The Hamilton community has several ‘homes’ of innovation. These initiatives welcome new entrepreneurs and create a welcoming, encouraging environment where ideas grow into successful businesses.

Click on a link below to learn more.

Waikato Innovation Park

The Waikato Innovation Park is the growth hub for agricultural technology and agricultural biotechnology businesses. If you are starting up a business in this field in New Zealand, the Waikato Innovation Park can help. Visit their website to learn more: www.innovationwaikato.co.nz or phone them on +64 7 857 0500.

SODA, Inc.

Soda Inc. aims to encourage and enable economically successful businesses within the creative industries sector to thrive in Hamilton. Visit their website to learn more www.sodainc.com.

Waikato Aviation Cluster

The Waikato Aviation Cluster encourages new business start-ups in the light aircraft manufacturing and pilot training industries. It is working with companies in these fields to grow and is also interested in helping new companies and suppliers start up. Click here to read more about the Waikato Aviation Cluster.

WaikatoLink

Entrepreneurs with an idea or early stage venture are able to increase their chances of success by engaging with the WaikatoLink Venture Incubator.

The incubator, which focuses on high growth technologies in the AgBio, biotechnology and ICT sectors, provides entrepreneurs and start ups access to the expertise, networks, resources and environment that WaikatoLink has built up through successfully incubating their own high growth ventures.

Through the incubator industry partners will provide valuable expertise and services to entrepreneurs. University of Waikato, NZ Incubator Association, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Hamilton City Council will also provide key support.

Information and contact details for the incubator can be found at www.waikatolink.co.nz.
 Hamilton will host 3 matches in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.  Hamilton hosted the New Zealand round of the prestigious V8 Supercar Championship in the city for the second year in 2009. The inaugural race in April 2008 attracted 172,000 attendees plus 5,000 people associated with the running of the event. The event generated $28.3 million of new money into the local economy in the first year and is estimated to generate $156 million over the seven years that the event will run.  Over 100,000 people annually visit New Zealand National Agriculture Fieldays held at Mystery Creek (10 minutes south of Hamilton), which is the largest agricultural event held in the Southern Hemisphere. Each year generates around $290 million sales.  As the centre of the thoroughbred industry, Hamilton has an excellent racing venue at Te Rapa. A national trotting track is 15 minutes drive from Hamilton in Cambridge.  31 October - 7 November Lake Karipiro (30 minutes south of Hamilton) will hold the 2010 World Rowing Championships.  Raglan is 40 minutes by road from Hamilton and home to one of the world’s longest left-hand surf breaks.  Hamilton Zoo is home to over 600 native New Zealand and exotic animals, set in 25 ha of tranquil surroundings.  Hamilton Gardens are a free, 58-hectare walk-able wonderland attracting more than 600,000 visitors a year.  The natural resources surrounding Hamilton - including its forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains - provide opportunities for tramping, bush-walking, and other types of outdoor recreation.  The borough of Hamilton was established on 27 October 1877 and Hamilton became a city on 13 December 1945.  Hamilton’s Maori name is Kirikiriroa meaning long stretch of gravel.  New Zealand’s longest river, the Waikato, flows for 16km through the city.  Mild climate and moderate year round rainfall keep the city and surrounding area very green.  Mean temperatures - 18C in January (summer) and 9C in July (winter).  Hamilton has135 parks and gardens and 58 sports areas and over 1,000 hectares of open space.  Hamilton has 3 public swimming pools and over 55 kms of walkways in parks and reserves.