Who Switched off the Power?
“From the days of Maui we have celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of tangata whenua” suggests Te Ururoa Flavell.
“That spirit has now been revealed on the international stage with today’s announcement that Maori are the third-most
entrepreneurial people in the world (after Thailand and Venezuela).
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Aotearoa NZ 2005 will be released at the launch of the International
Entrepreneurship Research Exchange on the UNITEC campus in Auckland today.
“The research states that 83% of Maori entrepreneurs are opportunity entrepreneurs” states Mr Flavell.
“A classic example of this is Kahungunu man, Ian Taylor, who has established a fierce international reputation for the
innovative projects of his computer animation”.
Whilst perhaps best known for his ground-breaking 3D America's Cup graphics, Taylor also developed graphics for the Moka
Toa series; Whalewatch Kaikoura’s World of the Whales animated virtual tour; and just last week, his advanced 3D real
time computer graphics for the New Zealand Gliding Grand Prix revolutionised the image of competitive gliding.
“Ian Taylor lives by the motto that “risk-taking is essential for developing visions into business reality”: stated Mr
Flavell. “What we see today, is the huge international profile that Maori entrepreneurs have achieved, through that same
timeless vision, creative panache and sense of adventure”.
The report also had some sobering statistics, in noting that only 37% of Maori entrepreneurial start-ups survive three
and a half years, compared to 62% in the general population. “The Maori Party will be examining this research very
carefully” suggested Mr Flavell. “We will be asking the Government why is it that these world-class entrepreneurs are
lacking sustainable support to make the risks worthwhile”.
“The Government seems to be seduced by big-talking, big spenders with big budgets from off-shores” stated Mr Flavell.
“Is the power-supply to the incubator of indigenous entrepreneurs being switched right at the crucial point when they
need a power surge (by way of resources) to take up the opportunity for success?”.