A group of Bay of Plenty entrepreneurs today launched a project aimed at improving the odds of success of the region's crop of world-class ideas.
Co-ordinated by Otumoetai entrepreneur Jo Allum, the Bay of Plenty Innovation Survey seeks to find out what entrepreneurs in the region need in order to grow their businesses. Part of a bigger vision to cultivate the Bay's innovation ecosystem, the BOPin survey is supported by local businesses, investor group Enterprise Angels, Priority One and the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce.
"We're gathering data about the entrepreneurial ambition of local students, employees, business owners and investors to find out if they need more support to take their ideas to a broader marketplace, which could be New Zealand or the globe," Ms Allum said.
"If you ask someone from outside the area about the Bay of Plenty, they'll tell you it's a retirement village, a place for shipping logs, growing kiwifruit or holidays at the Mount.
"Most detrimental, it's just $10 Tauranga. But that's so limiting because it's so much more. The Bay is a real hothouse of innovation."