KEY POINTS:
Microsoft New Zealand managing director Helen Robinson isn't taking any prisoners in her role as leader of the Metro Project's innovation workstream.
She wasted little time establishing a business-led innovation leadership group, completing the first of 31 "actions" spelled out in the Metro Project action plan months ahead
of schedule.
She also set up other working groups within the workstream to foster different facets of innovation and identified ways of gauging the workstream's overall success. These include measures such as venture capital raised per 1000 people, increases in exporting compared with, say, five or 10 years ago, and rises in household income. Robinson won't be happy unless all the arrows are pointing upward.
"If we can help more companies commercialise, export more and compete more effectively on an international scale, then Auckland will be a success," she says.
"By 2009, Auckland will have half New Zealand's workforce. If Auckland is a success, New Zealand will be a success."
Robinson, who took over at Microsoft a year ago, is known for her blunt comments about New Zealand. She made the headlines last September by attacking the country's economy and way of life as "mediocre".
"We have made good progress in the past four to six months We have a diverse mix of people and we have lots of heated discussions but our intent is the same - how do we make Auckland successful from a truly commercial perspective?"
Robinson sees leadership and innovation as key to the region's success and she has drawn high-powered people to her workstream to collaborate for progress - representatives of business, government agencies and the universities.
"We have included people who have a true desire and ability to influence Auckland. We have a great mix of leaders who understand we are here to make a difference."
Issues her workstream is grappling with are some of the toughest faced by the Metro Project. They include improving companies' access to pre-seed funding and improving co-ordination and information between angel investor programmes - investors who back early-stage businesses or business concepts - and investor networks.
These have long been weak areas in New Zealand business but Robinson's team plans to have its responses completed next year at the latest.
She doesn't hesitate to draw on her Microsoft experience to assist the workstream.
"I have spent a lot of time with the Department of Labour on workplace productivity with Microsoft but the overlap on the Metro Project is large," she says. "In my role you are requested to get involved in many different things so it is important to pick and choose where you really spend your time. I would not have done this [involvement in the Metro Project] if we could not make a difference to Auckland."
Robinson says region-wide policies are necessary for Auckland to export more and be truly innovative.
"Auckland has a big responsibility to lead the country."
That's a view shared by Prime Minister Helen Clark who, in the past, has said the challenge for Auckland is how to become a world-class city and a greater engine for growth for the region and the country.
"We cannot be complacent and just hope that that will happen," she told the launch of the Metro Project action plan last October.
"Auckland's performance is also critical to our Government's drive to transform the New Zealand economy. To lift its performance Auckland also needs to deepen its innovation clusters, and have world-class infrastructure."
Robinson's approach is to draw on the best information and networks available - business, government agencies, universities and research institutes - and not just in New Zealand. One of her working groups is leveraging off international networks by working with New Zealand enterprises with international connections.
