Callaghan Innovation’s purpose is to help New Zealand business to succeed through technology. The Maori Economy is seen as an integral part of the New Zealand Economy and the Callaghan Maori Economy team has a number of initiatives that it implements to assist Maori businesses to be more innovative and successful through technology.
Maori Economy Team Secondment is an initiative that started through the team working with a number of Maori organisations who expressed interest in learning more about Callaghan Innovation’s offering and best practice for Innovation in a New Zealand context. Secondments were targeted towards individuals in these organisations whose principal role is to create and lead innovation systems within the business or other businesses.
Maori Economy Team secondment assists an organisation with exposure to a wider innovation system and practices, including exposure to research capabilities within Callaghan Innovation. Callaghan benefits from these secondments as it embeds a deeper understanding of Maori organisations across Callaghan Innovation and develops strong relationships.
Shontelle Bishara & Dr. Jason Mika (GHA), Dr Mary Quinn (CE, Callaghan Innovation), Aroha Armstrong (Poutama)
Aroha Armstrong and Shontelle Bishara were welcomed to an 8 week long secondment with a Whakatau from the Callaghan Innovation team. In typical Callaghan fashion, there is an app that all staff have used to learn waiata, haka and karakia, so the welcome was a real team effort! Ka pai Callaghan!
Aroha and Shontelle will spend their time working alongside the Customer Manager and Programmes Team to better understand Callaghan Innovation products and services, and also spend time alongside some of the Research and Technical Services groups. They will also be observing and assisting clients to access Callaghan Innovation products and services, and provide assistance with the R&D grants application and assessment process.
The knowledge of inner workings and relationships built with Callaghan staff will be used to benefit Poutama and GHA clients to better engage with Callaghan products, programmes and funding.
Alongside the secondments, Callaghan has helped create the Maori Innovation Category of the HI-TECH AWARDS to recognise the outstanding work of Maori businesses and other organisations doing commercial innovation through technology.
Poutama and Callaghan are working together on this and the establishment of a Maori Digital Cluster group which is gathering momentum.
These are just one of the many ways in which Poutama and Callaghan Innovation demonstrate the principles of their MOU, and work together to support and grow the Maori Economy.
