By MELISSA MOXON
HAMILTON - Plans are under way to entice high-tech research and innovation to Hamilton and turn the city into a "world centre of life science."
The Hamilton City Council yesterday released its draft economic development strategy, which proposes building on present research establishments that support dairying and other farming industries.
The council has spent months talking to business and community leaders, and yesterday outlined plans to promote Hamilton overseas and to make it easier to set up and run a business in the city.
Details are scant on how this will happen and the council's marketing general manager, Stephen Hill, said it was too early to say how much the council would contribute financially.
Mr Hill said rates breaks were not being considered, as they did nothing to help established businesses.
The strategy suggests setting up a forum of council and business leaders "to champion Hamilton as a world centre." The forum may initiate marketing and feasibility studies.
The council plans to create a business promotion position and wants to encourage events and conferences in the city.
Part of the focus is on establishing an "innovation park" at Ruakura, bringing similar research companies together in one area. The land was zoned for that purpose by an act of Parliament in 1991, but nothing has happened since.
The proposal must first go to the council's strategic committee at the end of the month, then the full council will decide what further detail and consultation are needed.
Professor Michael Selby, a deputy vice-chancellor (research) at Waikato University, said the university would benefit from an innovation park for setting up companies in high-tech areas.
"Our applied research is increasing. There are a number of projects which could be commercialised," he said.
Professor Selby said the university had $1 million of research contracts in 1986 and by the end of last year that figure had jumped to $36 million.
An increase in research and development would mean more work for graduates and less likelihood of a repeat of the brain drain that last December had enticed a professor and five PhD students to the United States to continue ground-breaking fuel cell research.
Phae Group surveyed business and community groups for the strategy. Business adviser Tony Kane said people were keen about the science concept, but there had previously been no driving force behind it.
"We have to have something that positions us differently from everyone else. With an economic development strategy, we are competing with everyone else who has got one."
Hamilton aims for world status in high tech
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