Blue economy hub launched

Blue by name and by nature, it’s hoped a new innovation hub in Nelson will help cement the ocean at the heart of the region’s economy.

The new Blue House in Vickerman St was officially opened by Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro at a ceremony on Thursday afternoon.

The Blue House is a three-year partnership between Westpac New Zealand, the Nelson Regional Development Agency (NRDA) and Kernohan Engineering, creating a dedicated workspace for blue economy startup businesses at Port Nelson with a focus on sustainable practices.

The hub will be a home for Moananui, an alliance of New Zealand organisations committed to growing sustainable ocean-related business opportunities across industries including aquaculture, fisheries, biotech, bluetech, ocean energy, research, engineering and infrastructure.

It provides space for three startups, with two of the offices already in use.

NRDA chief executive Fiona Wilson said it was an innovation hub that would be able to grow to accommodate more businesses.

“We have so many inspiring businesses involved in the blue economy and the Blue House will support even more to get started to help build the pipeline of growth in this important sector of our economy.”

Kernohan Engineering chief executive Paul Miller said the project was partly motivated by shifts in the region’s economy following several prominent closures in 2025.

“We had to invest in our future, and that meant investing in our strengths as a region.”

Five years ago, the company’s biggest client was the Eves Valley Sawmill, which closed last year, but after recognising the risk to that sector they had looked to diversify, he said.

“The biggest growth opportunity we saw for this region was the blue economy, and that’s primarily driven by the strength of that cluster … We’re highly motivated to support these growth initiatives because these represent sort of the future growth opportunities for our own business.”

Having a base for businesses at the heart of the port meant that every skill-set they would need to succeed was within walking distance, he said.

Westpac relationship manager Brent Callaghan said it was clear the ocean was where the strong economic development opportunities were.

Nelson was leading the way for New Zealand’s blue economy, he said.

“Nelson was the focal point of everything.”

For the tenants, the hub is a chance to be surrounded by expertise.

Maidenfleet is working on developing autonomous fishing vessels, and founder and chief executive Dan Burrows moved from Auckland to be part of the Blue House.

“[It] places Maidenfleet at the centre of a forward-thinking marine ecosystem, where proximity to industry, infrastructure and talent enables us to accelerate development and scale faster,” he said.

Ocean Intelligence is developing biological forecasting and is the first commercial spin-out from the Cawthron Institute.

“Moving into the Blue House and the Moananui cluster gives us the space to grow as a business while staying connected to the expertise and ambition that makes this region unique,” founder and chief executive Joel Bowater said.

The building will also provide a base for the Ocean Impact Organisation, which is partnering with Moanaui on BlueStart Aotearoa, a programme to support startups focused on building ocean-positive, sustainable blue economy solutions.

The opening was welcomed by the region’s leaders.

Nelson mayor Nick Smith said the blue economy was the region’s biggest economic development opportunity.

“The timing is bang-on with two major boat travel lifts … due for completion this year. These will give us the improved infrastructure to grow our marine sector while the Blue House initiative helps to deliver the parallel business development work.”

Tasman mayor Tim King said the region had a long relationship with the water that surrounded it.

“With the Blue House opening we get to explore what a sustainable economy beneath the waves can offer to our district and the region’s future.”

By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail