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ABOUT HIKO HUB

Ignite The Connection Between Business And University Expertise

Hiko Hub is the University of Waikato’s innovation hub in Hamilton and Tauranga, connecting businesses with researchers, R&D facilities, IP, student talent and the wider innovation community.

Explore How We Work With Industry

Where The Idea Came From

The University of Waikato has long believed the gap between business and university research should not exist.

Researchers are working on problems businesses are trying to solve. Businesses need expertise that already exists across the University. Students are ready to contribute, but need places to apply what they know.

Hiko Hub was created to close that gap.

Named after the te reo Māori word for lightning, or to ignite, Hiko Hub opened at Gate 5, Hillcrest Road in May 2024. With nationally recognised research impact, the University of Waikato needed a clearer front door for industry.

The first tenants spanned IT, construction advisory and marketing. Within months, the hub was hosting parliamentary delegations, tech sector roundtables and student innovation events.

Industries We Work With

Agritech & Engineering

Agricultural science, engineering and environmental research to stay ahead on emissions and efficiency.

Marine Science

Marine ecology, aquaculture and biotechnology research, based right in Tauranga.

Medical & Health

Clinical networks and biomedical expertise alongside Waikato District Health Board.

Software & Computer Engineering

World-leading AI, cybersecurity and software research, home of WEKA.

Business & Management

Triple Crown-accredited research, consulting and industry partnerships.

Construction

Resilient infrastructure research through WaiRISC and industry partners.

What It Has Become

Co-location was always the starting point, not the destination.

The University of Waikato already had deep capability in research commercialisation, IP development, contract research and industry partnerships. Hiko Hub is now the front door to that capability.

Businesses can base themselves on campus, access specialist R&D facilities, connect with researchers, explore IP or build long-term partnerships through clearer pathways.

In Tauranga, Hiko Hub operates in partnership with Priority One, the Bay of Plenty’s regional economic development agency, connecting businesses with the wider regional innovation network.

Explore How We Work With Industry

More Than A Place To Work

Hiko Hub is more than a co-working space, and you do not need to be based on campus to be part of it.

Sector breakfasts, investor evenings, industry roundtables and Angel Network pitch nights put businesses in front of the people who can fund them, partner with them or open the next door.

Parliamentary delegations and Sprout agritech events keep that network connected to government and industry beyond the University.

The community is the point. The workspace just makes it easier to be part of it.

Our Locations
The Hiko difference

Built On The University Of Waikato

Hiko Hub is operated by the University of Waikato, one of New Zealand’s leading research universities.

That connection is what makes Hiko Hub different from independent innovation hubs. Businesses are connected to university researchers, facilities, IP, student talent and innovation networks through one clear front door.

University of Waikato

Equal 293rd in the world, QS Rankings 2026

Number 2 in New Zealand for research impact

Triple Crown accredited Management School

Top 1% of business schools globally

Top 150 globally for five UN Sustainable Development Goals

New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine joining the Hamilton campus in 2028

What Hiko Hub Makes Possible

See how businesses and founders have used Hiko Hub to turn University of Waikato research, facilities and talent into new products, funding and contracts.

View Case Studies

Frequently Asked Questions

Hiko is the te reo Māori word for lightning, or to ignite. It reflects the energy, speed and spark of the connection between business and university.

No. Co-location is one option, but research partnerships, facility access, and IP licensing are all available to businesses based anywhere. You can also attend events and community gatherings without a desk or office on campus.

It operates across two campuses. Hamilton is at Gate 5, Hillcrest Road, on the University of Waikato’s main campus. Tauranga is on the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus at 143 Durham Street, CBD.

Hiko Hub is a University of Waikato initiative. The Hamilton campus has been running since early 2024, and the Tauranga campus launched in August 2026 in partnership with Priority One.