Building the Connective Tissue for New Zealand’s Blue Economy
Written by Elisa-Marie Dumas
Not all partnerships are created equal. Over the years I’ve learned that to make meaningful impact, you have to find the people and organisations who share your values and your mission. It’s not about building the biggest network, it’s about building the right one. The kind of relationships that bring energy, honesty, and purpose into the work, because without that alignment, impact is hard to sustain.
Site visit to Cawthron's Aquaculture Park
Time with Helen Pallmer and the team at Plant & Food
My own connection into New Zealand started a little differently. A couple of years ago, I invited myself along to a trip to Tasmania. Our partners at the Blue Economy CRC were hosting a delegation from New Zealand that had been convened by Moananui, and I saw it as the perfect chance to begin a journey we’d been wanting to take for some time. I knew there was so much innovation happening across the Tasman, but we didn’t yet have a direct line of sight.
That trip was a turning point. Very quickly I found myself bonding with the delegation members, leaders from industry, government, startups, iwi, and research institutions. We shared passionate conversations about the possibilities of collaboration, and how we might have an impact that reached across the ANZ region. The spark was immediate, and the sense of shared purpose was clear.
Quality time with Chris Rodley of Snapcore and Ali Kennard of Pinpoint Earth – an OIO portfolio company
Hanging out with Joel Bowater, Founder of Ocean Intelligence – another of OIO’s portfolio companies
From those first connections, we built a formal partnership with Moananui. Since then, that partnership has already led to two investments out of the region, OIO’s very first in New Zealand with many more to come. For me, it underscored what happens when you find the right partners. Doors open, ventures emerge, and ideas start to move from concept to reality.
Great to spend time with Paul Miller at Kernohan Engineering
I’ve always thought of myself as a connector. It’s in my DNA. I take a systems approach to this sector because I believe the promise of New Zealand’s Blue Economy won’t be realised by any one group working alone. It requires the connective tissue that turns individual efforts into a functioning market. Without strong links between research, startups, industry, capital, government, and community, good ideas stall, capital sits idle, and industry challenges remain unanswered. Connectivity is what transforms fragmented activity into a pipeline of investable ventures, solutions that can scale and deliver both economic and environmental outcomes.
That’s why our recent trip to Te Tauihu meant so much. We were welcomed into a community that is already alive with passion, innovation, and a clear vision for the future. From research labs and aquaculture learning facilities to startups, industry-led initiatives, and corporate partners, Nelson’s interconnected cluster is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. It’s exactly why we’ve chosen to anchor OIO’s Aotearoa base here.
Much love for Fiona Wilson from NRDA and the hostess with the mostess Sarah Cooper from Moananui
As we take these first steps into the region, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. To Moananui, for opening the door and walking this journey with us. To the Nelson Regional Development Agency (NRDA), for the warmth and belief in what this can mean for the region. To the Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation, for their vision and commitment to building a thriving, sustainable Blue Economy. And thank you to our friends at the Blue Economy CRC, this journey all started with them, as another like-minded partner who ignited the spark that set us on this path. To all of the partners and supporters who shared their time, knowledge, and encouragement during our visit THANK YOU!
This is just the beginning, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead. When the right partners come together, the impact isn’t just local. It ripples across the region and out into the world, creating opportunities that honour both people and planet ocean.
