@AucklandUniUnleash Space (Kura Matahuna) is a radical concept for the University of Auckland. The first truly inter-disciplinary, creative, practical learning space on campus. Impressive, impactful and highly visible, students from all faculties can come together to this centrally located innovation hub and maker space to be inspired and learn about entrepreneurship. Having an inter-disciplinary team from across the University behind the founding of Unleash Space has helped to ensure that it serves students of all interests and backgrounds.
Unleash Space was created out of the space formerly occupied by the Engineering Library. Its design evolved from inspiration from the very best university makerspaces in Europe and the United States,adapted for local needs and identity. Local culture has been considered with identity signage in Māori language to be inclusive of our indigenous community.
Our strategy to entice this new generation into venture creation has included appealing to students with use of equipment and then showing them the allure of entrepreneurship as they make the journey from playing to inventing to prototyping. Beyond being a place where inventions can be prototyped, the majority of extra-curricular programmes delivered by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship have been run at Unleash Space since its opening. Unleash Space has exceeded all expectations in terms of student usage. Since its opening in 2018, thousands of people have attended programmes, equipment training sessions, workshops, events and mentoring sessions. The successful use of recruitment tactics employed, and resulting extraordinary response that Unleash Space has had is evidence of the appetite from this current generation to be equipped to become entrepreneurially-minded revolutionaries.
