Co-working space and innovation hub for Māpua

A bespoke co-working space and innovation hub is on the cards for Māpua this year as Mahitahi Colab expands into Tasman.

The not-for-profit organisation is a partnership between Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce, Nelson Regional Development Agency and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technololgy (NMIT) which has been running a space in Nelson for several years. It now has about 100 people using that space and innovation manager Nikki Neate says it plans a similar concept for Māpua.

“People may work from home with a great setup and want one day a week in a collaborative space. Or people can hire meeting rooms or innovation space.”

Individuals or small teams will be able to use the space for workshops and events as well as simply hire desk space. It might be a permanent space, or it might be a visitor from out-of-town wanting to hot desk.

The thrust of the organisation though, is to provide opportunities through collaboration with others and access to the three groups in the partnership, which Nikki says will help develop innovation and also attract more entrepreneurial people to the region.

“Every business can be innovating. Someone has to have the ideas, and someone has to do it and someone has to tell people about it. Mahitahi is here to bring it together, so we are totally connected.”

Nikki says Nelson Tasman tends to have a retirement village reputation and that can put off innovative people considering the region because they think there’s not much on offer if they have to look for work. One of Mahitahi Colab’s goals is to change that perception and show that it is a great place to start a business.

“It’s about catering for the region, but also attracting others to the region.”

The organisation already has a location in mind for Māpuaa, but it has yet to be finalised.

Nikki says there will be a Mahitahi Colab space in Māpua-Ruby Bay this year though and probably by winter.

Anyone interested in using the space can find out more on its website here.