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The latest in innovation and entrepreneurship news, research and insights from the University of Auckland and around the world.

The latest in innovation and entrepreneurship news, research and insights from the University of Auckland and around the world.


Latest News


Is 2024 the year lectures die?

Artificial Intelligence is set to significantly impact every facet of modern life, including tertiary education. In this Op Ed, Professor Rod McNaughton, Academic Director of the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) asks – is 2024 the year lectures die?

Meet the 2024 Velocity CEO

Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws student, Izilah (Izzy) Mohammed is this year’s CEO of the Velocity entrepreneurship development programme. Izzy is responsible for leading a committee of student volunteers who organise a year-long programme of competitions, inspirational seminars and workshops for the benefit of hundreds of University of Auckland students and staff.

20 years of innovation

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's (CIE) Velocity programme thrived this year. Not only did the initiative see record number of applications this year for its $100k Challenge start-up planning competition, but it was also named the Academic Initiative of the Year at the 2023 Global Entrepreneurship Network New Zealand Awards. A significant milestone as the programme celebrates 20 years.

Safety reinvented: Building Australasia’s leading health and safety engagement software, one brick at a time

It took four students, one lecturer, and a light nudge in the right direction from the Velocity $100k judges for the software company ecoPortal to be founded. Today, ecoPortal has grown into the leading health, safety, environmental and risk management software for enterprise clients in Australasia. “Today, we've got 70 staff across Australia and New Zealand and other parts of the world. We have a really strong foundation from which to become a global organisation and the best health, safety and risk management platform in the world”, CEO Dr Manuel Seidel explains.  

Ten CIE alumni named in 40 under 40 list

Every year the University of Auckland draws up a 40 under 40 list to highlight the exceptional personal and professional achievements of alumni. The alumni shine in one of the six categories: entrepreneurs, disruptors and innovators, business leaders, humanitarians, influencers and performers.
This year, ten of the named alumni are former participants of programmes run by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) such as the Velocity (formerly named Spark) entrepreneurship development programme.

Aspiring tech superhero Petr Bublienko

Surrounded by technology, machines whirring in the background and the smell of melted polylactic in the air – this is where Petr Bublienko feels most at home. Watching him confidently navigate Kura Matahuna Unleash Space, you are bound to think that Petr is an engineering student. But far from it - while Petr works at the makerspace as a Creative Technologist, supporting other students in completing various projects and delivering technology trainings, he is actually a business student.

Staff profile: Darsel Keane – CIE Director

Darsel Keane is CIE's Director. Darsel first got involved in the entrepreneurship education space through Velocity, which at the time was called Spark, as a student in the Business School. She has been foundational in building Unleash Space from the ground up - first in the role of Special Projects Manager, later Centre Manager, and eventually Director. As CIE Director she is responsible for leadership of the team, strategy, and stakeholder engagement - both internally and externally. Her role also includes programme design, some delivery and keeping abreast with what is happening in this space nationally and internationally.

How a growth mindset can open a world of opportunity

Honor Browne never saw herself as an 'innovator' or 'entrepreneur.’ In her mind, those labels were for engineers or business owners, not someone dedicated to improving health outcomes. However, Honor’s university journey and openness to new opportunities have opened her eyes to the potential for innovative thinking for social impact. At the recent Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland Blues Awards, Honor was recognised for her role in winning the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) x United Nations (UN) Social Innovation Competition that enabled her team to attend advanced prototyping training and UN sessions in Thailand earlier this year.

Doctoral candidates’ year-long journey to develop entrepreneurial mindsets

The second cohort from the Doctoral Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme has enjoyed a truly transformative experience.

Discovering their entrepreneurial potential and valuable skills for future careers – whether within or outside of the academia – are two of the major learnings for participants of the Doctoral Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme, a unique programme delivered for University of Auckland doctoral candidates by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).

Making brain surgery smarter with Artificial Intelligence

One year ago, Neurofanos was announced as the overall winner of the 2022 Velocity $100k Challenge and the entrepreneurial journey for this multidisciplinary team of biomedical engineers, neurosurgeons, researchers, and academics was launched. Their winning innovation is a revolutionary AI-driven tool capable of measuring and analysing the structure of the brain in real time. It is a technological advancement with the potential to support neurosurgeons to perform more accurate surgeries, leading to improved patient safety.

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