Scion Innovation Park

Scion has been allocated $2.5 million by Bay of Plenty Regional Council for the development of an ‘Innovation Centre’ at our Rotorua campus’ Innovation Park. The funding is part of the council’s Regional Infrastructure Fund to support economic development in the region.

The centre will be a hub for innovative companies in forestry related products and services with the aim of fostering collaboration and innovation between similar businesses and with Scion.

“The centre is part of the economic growth initiative for the Bay of Plenty,” says Chief Executive Warren Parker. “We will also draw on networks, such as Grow Rotorua, to attract firms with fresh talent and new technologies. We will also establish a formal link with Waikato Innovation Park, one of the most successful in New Zealand, and deepen our collaboration with the University of Waikato and Waiariki Institute of Technology.

“The Innovation Park is part of a wider vision to establish Rotorua as a ‘forest industry centre of excellence’.”

The building for the centre is due to be completed by January 2015, and aims to support the creation of thousands of jobs, both directly and through innovation and the development of new processing facilities. It will also help increase export earnings from the forestry industry in the Bay of Plenty by up to $1 billion.

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