1. CIE
  2.  » 
  3. About Us
  4.  » Our History

OUR HISTORY

Explore the history of our role in building New Zealand’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

History of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

2021

2021 – CIE wins international award for Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership

Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership

CIE wins an award from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centres (GCEC) for Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership. The GCEC is a consortium of 250 leading university entrepreneurship programmes that work together to assist each other in advancing, strengthening and celebrating the role of universities in educating the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The Student Engagement and Leadership Award was for the category of schools with more than 5,000 students. It is the first time a university from the southern hemisphere has won a GCEC award in its 20 year history.

2021 – CIE wins international award for Entrepreneurship Education Excellence

University-of-Auckland-wins-international-award-for-entrepreneurship-education

The International Council for Small Business (ICSB) awards CIE for Entrepreneurship Education Excellence at its 65th world , held in Paris. ICSB is world’s largest international SME organisation dedicated to small business and entrepreneurship. The award was given to CIE in recognition for its Summer Lab programme – a free four week intensive entrepreneurship programme open to all current students and staff of the University of Auckland.

2020

2020 – Named Entrepreneurial University of the Year

2020 – Named Entrepreneurial University of the Year

The University of Auckland is named Entrepreneurial University of the Year, the ultimate award at the Asia-Pacific Triple E Entrepreneurship and Engagement Excellence Awards in Higher Education. The competition received over 300 entries, with 60 finalists from 17 countries. Professor Thorsten Kliewe, Chair of ACEEU and the Triple E Awards, said “the University of Auckland is a great example on how entrepreneurship can be at the heart of a higher education institution.”

2019

2019 – Launch of the Hynds Entrepreneurial Fellows Programme

2019 – Launch of the Hynds Entrepreneurial Fellows Programme

The Hynds Entrepreneurial Fellows Programme aims to embed innovation and entrepreneurship in the curricula across the University of Auckland by working with and supporting academics from all faculties.

2018

2018 – Unleash Space opens

2018 – Unleash Space opens

The University of Auckland’s state-of-the-art innovation hub and maker space opens. Unleash Space was founded as a partnership between the Business School and the Faculty of Engineering. Its creation was led by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, empowered through the support of generous donors Sir Owen G Glenn, Beca, Chau Hoi Shuen Foundation, Hynds Foundation, Li Ka-Shing Foundation and PwC. Rereata Makiha, the University of Auckland Business School Kaumatua gifts Unleash Space it’s Māori name, Kura Matahuna – The journey into the future.

2018 – Creation of the VentureLab incubator

2018 Creation of the VentureLab incubator

The University of Auckland’s incubator is designed to support students and staff who have developed a venture concept by further developing their capability and giving them the expertise, space and resource to fully ignite their idea.

2016

2016 – Spark rebrands as Velocity

2016 – Spark rebrands as Velocity

When Spark was first named it was to convey the spark of an idea – of possibility and potential. As the Centre enters the next phase of support for student entrepreneurs in New Zealand, the founding programme’s name is changed to reflect the changing pace that ventures need to proceed at in the modern world. The pace of growth will be further enabled by the Centre’s upcoming new support services and facilities.

2015

2015 – Centre expansion

2015 – Centre expansion

In late 2015, the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship receives $1.1m over three years from the University of Auckland Business School’s Endowment Fund for the purpose of increasing the size and scope of programmes delivered. The Centre creates a new and ambitious vision to lead and empower innovation and entrepreneurship in the southern hemisphere. To quantify this vision, the Centre aims to engage 10% of the student population by 2020. The target figure of 10% is chosen purposefully. Research and practice in Organisational Development shows that when 10% of an organisation start to change their attitude and behaviours this becomes the tipping point for culture change.

2014

2014 – Top 5 status from MIT in entrepreneurial education

2014 – Top 5 status from MIT in entrepreneurial education

The University of Auckland is identified as one of the world’s top five “emerging leaders in entrepreneurship” expected to become a major international innovation powerhouse in the decades ahead. The Spark entrepreneurship programme is noted as “the beating heart of entrepreneurship at the university”. The MIT Skoltech Initiative conducted a two-year study to find the world’s best university-based entrepreneurial ecosystems operating outside the technology-driven innovation hubs of MIT, Stanford University and the University of Cambridge. The report, which says the University of Auckland offers an exciting blueprint for other universities operating in similar circumstances across the world, was written to offer insights into how universities can transform their institutions toward a more entrepreneurial model, particularly in environments that may not be naturally conducive to entrepreneurship and innovation.

2012

2012 – Creation of the Master of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship

2012 – Creation of the Master of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship

The Master of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship was designed to give participants the knowledge and skills to successfully commercialise new products, services and processes based on research discoveries, inventions and new ideas.

EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ

PHONE
09 923 4526

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND

 

 

 

WUNAPRUU21