The 2026 State of the City Report shows Auckland is gaining ground as an innovation city, but needs to do more to help promising businesses stay in the city.
Auckland has the research, talent and ideas to drive economic growth, and is gaining ground as an innovation city, but needs to do more to turn that potential into businesses that grow and stay in the city, according to the latest State of the City Report.
Released this week by the Committee for Auckland, at an event hosted by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, the report shows Auckland has risen 11 places among global start-up ecosystems and is building strengths in health, digital, fintech and clean energy. But it also finds many New Zealand businesses tend to move offshore earlier than those in comparable cities as they grow, meaning Auckland misses out on the jobs and economic value they generate.
The report highlights the important role universities play in developing talent, advancing research and helping turn ideas into businesses. It also identifies stronger links between universities, industry and investors as critical to creating higher-value jobs and lifting Auckland's long-term productivity.
Professor Frank Bloomfield, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation at the University of Auckland and a Director of the Committee for Auckland, says the findings show positive progress but are also a call to action.
"Auckland has strong foundations for growth. We have world-class research, talented people and growing connections between universities, industry and investors. The challenge now is turning more of that potential into successful businesses that create jobs and deliver economic value to Auckland and New Zealand."
The University of Auckland is already a significant part of Auckland's innovation ecosystem. Around half of the companies featured in Auckland Council's recent 100 Days of Start-ups campaign have a connection to the University.
Through the University's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, nearly 300 ventures have been supported, generating more than 4,400 jobs and raising more than $8 billion in capital.
UniServices, the University's research commercialisation, innovation and knowledge transfer company, also launches between six and ten new companies each year and in recent years has had the largest portfolio of active university-linked start-ups of any publicly funded research organisation in Australia and New Zealand.
"We see ourselves as an active partner in Auckland's future," Bloomfield says "Our role doesn't end with teaching and research. We can also help connect talented people with investment, researchers with industry and promising ideas with the support they need to grow."
One of the challenges identified in the report is access to capital as companies scale. It says Auckland needs more later-stage investment, stronger pathways for research commercialisation and better support for companies to scale.
Closer collaboration is already underway at the University's Newmarket Innovation Precinct, where more than 160 industry members from 38 companies are working alongside University researchers and programmes.
The Auckland Innovation and Technology Alliance is another example. It brings together the council, businesses and higher education to support Auckland's innovation economy.
Bloomfield says the foundations are there and the next step is making it easier for the good ideas and promising businesses to grow in Auckland.
"The opportunity now is to build on that progress and make it easier for people to turn good ideas into successful businesses here in Auckland.
"If we get that right, we'll create more high-value jobs and businesses, with benefits for Auckland and New Zealand."
