Source: Ara Ake
Cruising around Auckland in New Zealand’s only hydrogen-powered bus, 30 energy innovators, investors, enablers and industry leaders will spend 4 December exploring the city’s growing cleantech sector. The bus, which generates its own electricity onboard using hydrogen, sets the tone for a tour focused on future-ready technology and commercial development.
The group is joining the Auckland Cleantech Trek to visit leading industrial and marine cleantech ventures. New Zealand is fast gaining a reputation as a cleantech hub, with global companies already using locally developed bioenergy, biofuel and waste-to-value technologies – and Auckland is at the centre of this growing industry.
The one-day programme will showcase Auckland innovation, examine pathways to commercialisation, and strengthen connections across Aotearoa’s cleantech ecosystem. The tour begins at the University of Auckland’s green chemistry and engineering departments before travelling to Environmental Decontamination Limited (EDL), whose technology offers a leading solution for hazardous waste treatment.
Participants will also visit EV Maritime, an engineering and design leader in electric ferries, and finish the day at Outset Ventures, home to many of Auckland’s deep-tech and cleantech startups, including Avertana, Ternary and Neocrete.
“To date, New Zealand’s cleantech sector comprises over 130 companies and has attracted at least $535 million in private investment – so supporting this sector is not only critical to climate mitigation but also economic growth,” says Associate Professor Natalie Plank, Deputy Director of Commercialisation and Industry Engagement at the MacDiarmid Institute.
The Trek is part of the wider New Zealand Cleantech Mission, a national initiative working to accelerate the development and deployment of clean technologies that reduce emissions, support regional resilience, and drive economic growth.
“Auckland is a major hub for cleantech innovation, and the more than 130 cleantech companies already operating across Aotearoa show that both Auckland and New Zealand can create world-leading ventures. Unlocking real economic impact means growing a wider pipeline of innovators who can scale globally. The New Zealand Cleantech Mission was set up to support that growth and help these technologies deliver on their sustainability potential,” says Jasmine Millet, Head of Sector Development at the Economic Development Office within Auckland Council.
Co-led by Ara Ake, New Zealand’s national energy innovation centre, and the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, the Cleantech Mission is supported by Auckland Council, New Zealand Growth Capital Partners, Auckland UniServices, ChristchurchNZ, and KiwiNet.
