Ara Ake – onwards and upwards.
It’s an expression that sits easily with Taranaki’s pioneering spirit and the energy of the region’s people to succeed and thrive.
It’s also a name befitting an organisation that’s helping lead the region, the country, and the world into a new energy future.
Ara Ake, formerly known as the National New Energy Development Centre, is collaborating across the energy ecosystem to lead and facilitate the development of low-emissions energy innovation and technology.
Based in Taranaki – New Zealand’s premier energy province – Ara Ake is working closely with industry, community, government and iwi, and leveraging national and global knowledge and expertise to reduce the time, cost and risk associated with the development and commercialisation of new energy innovation.
Energetic and optimistic about the future, Ara Ake’s chief executive Dr Cristiano Marantes believes Taranaki is perfectly positioned to not only be the centre of New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions economy, but also the world’s.
“We are based in Taranaki but what we are doing goes beyond Taranaki borders. We are a global centre providing a global perspective, and I think we have the opportunity to be global leaders in explaining how to transition to a low-emissions future,” Cristiano says.
“The community is open to change, and keen to embark on a different journey – there’s excitement and motivation."
“The transition is going to be challenging, but Taranaki is ideally placed to lead it because it offers a complete energy ecosystem with access to invaluable knowledge and expertise, infrastructure, supply chains, and many energy resources,” Cristiano say
Regional forward-looking plans – the Tapuae Roa economic development strategy and the co-designed big picture Taranaki 2050 Roadmap – align with the aims of Ara Ake, which is working hard to accelerate the transition to a low-emissions future.
It has partnered with US-based Elemental Excelerator, which connects energy start-ups with global investors and industry players; is looking at the options for decarbonising long-haul transport in New Zealand; exploring accelerating opportunities for offshore wind, wave, tidal and carbon capture utilisation storage; developing projects with energy industry players; and
has partnered with EVolocity, a programme that gives school students kits to create their own electric vehicles (EV) and encourages them into science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
Ara Ake also now has 13 “shareholders” onboard – organisations or companies that provide intellectual capital and expertise rather than money. In return, they can access the collective knowledge being developed.
“It’s a privilege to be part of this organisation in the sense that we can actually make a difference,” Cristiano says.