New Queenstown Research & Innovation Hub To Benefit Region And New Zealand

Remarkables Park Limited has welcomed the Government’s strategic support into stage one of a new Research & Innovation Queenstown hub, announced today.

The Government has announced it will lend up to $22.5 million to Research & Innovation Queenstown Ltd (RIQL), a subsidiary of Remarkables Park Limited, to contribute to the development of stage 1 of a $45m greenfield hub called Research & Innovation Queenstown. RIQL will match the Government funding towards the development costs, plus fund adjacent roading and services costs.

The first building will provide approximately 6000sq m of research and innovation offices and facilites, as well as commercial uses at Remarkables Park. This infrastructure will be a major step towards diversifying the Queenstown Lakes District economy.

Remarkables Park Limited Executive Chair Alastair Porter welcomes the Government’s willingness to work with the private sector to support Research & Innovation to assist Queenstown develop a more resilient economy.

“Our vision has always been focused on enabling projects that include creating employment opportunities for local people to ultimately build a prosperous and resilient region. We are committed to sustainable innovation for the wellbeing of future generations,” Porter says.

Government’s financial support will contribute towards the cost of architects, planners, civil, structural, fire and mechanical engineers, followed by 100-plus people who will be involved in construction. Remarkables Park Ltd executive director Johnathan Chen says. “Ultimately, the establishment of the research and innovation hub will provide a platform to attract new, high-value workforce and visitors, as well as retaining and upskilling Queenstown residents.”

The Research & Innovation Queenstown hub is planned to be a beacon to attract world-class talent to the region and New Zealand, in turn creating high value and low environmental impact industries. Chen says.

As part of the project, a high-powered Research & Innovation Advisory Board will be formed, chaired by Dr (Sir) Hermann Hauser, who co-founded Acorn Computers, ARM Ltd, Armadeus Capital, and the Cambridge Innovation Network. He is currently the Vice Chair of the European Innovation Council’s $10b euro deep tech fund.

“New Zealand has a track record in developing diverse technologies and innovation. Critical thinking, collaboration, research are all facilitated by enabling supporting infrastructure, even better when it is located in an inspirational environment to live and work like Queenstown. The government strategy and financial support for the first stage of the Research and Innovation campus is timely, especially given technology sovereignty becoming a dominant issue for this decade and beyond. I am pleased to be working with the Remarkables Park team to build an ecostystem that enables ongoing research and innovation for Queenstown, and ultimately New Zealand,” Hauser says.
Chen adds: “Hermann’s knowlege and experience provides invaluable contribution to this project, which helps bridge a critical gap in the sector in order to increase overall productivity of New Zealand firms.”

“A successful innovation precinct will leverage the Queenstown Lakes’ existing international reputation and all its ingredients in the region to facilitate New Zealand’s Research & Innovation sector in commercialisation and globalisation, and in return will further enhance New Zealand’s brand recognition, adding value to other sectors such as tourism and export trade, and we are open to working with parties who are interested in developing this opportunity,” Chen says.

The buildings have been designed by award-winning Otago architects Mason & Wales. Earthworks have begun and the building will be constructed by Cook Brothers Construction

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