What do Tech, Biodiversity and Heritage have to do with innovation and each other?

                                             

Can you determine the link?

We are mid-way through the Marlborough Heritage Festival, TechWeek26 is underway, as we also prepare to observe International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May.  How do these overlap and how are they relevant for innovation in Marlborough?

As Christopher Cookson recently said “Marlborough has produced people capable of solving a wide range of different kinds of problems in innovative ways, from the first navigators, Polynesian and European like Kupe and Cook.”

Marlborough is considered by some to be the birthplace of the nation. Marlborough is also home to 20% of the country’s coastline. The Tōtaranui 250 Heritage Trail Locations & Route highlights the histories of Tōtaranui and Havelock on the Pelorus Sounds was the home of rocket scientist Sir William Pickering (a senior NASA luminary) and Ernest Rutherford.

More than 4,000 native species in Aotearoa New Zealand are classified as threatened or at risk of extinction. Because many of these plants and animals are endemic—found nowhere else on Earth—New Zealand has one of the highest proportions of threatened indigenous species in the world. This threatens our identity and heritage and affects our long-term resilience. Internationally it is recognised that biodiversity loss is a health crisis.

Just over a year ago, at the February 2025 opening of Te Au Pūngao, Marlborough Deputy Mayor David Croad said, “the new hub would provide the right spaces, resources and networks to enhance problem-solving for industries to ultimately thrive, increase productivity and become more resilient. The May 2025 Open Evening at Te Au Pūngao, brought together professionals with diverse interests, including two residents Christopher Cookson and myself, who, despite living in different parts of Marlborough, find common ground in enjoying the Marlborough sunshine and an interest in Science and Tech.

You can read about our resilience efforts, beyond Te Au Pūngao,  in “The Power of Stepping Back” living lab project here.

                                            

What resilience efforts for Marlborough, or your region, have you undertaken?

~ Debbie