Vision Manawatu was established in 1999 to lead economic development in the Manawatu region. Our principal funders are Palmerston North City Council, Manawatu District Council, Massey University and Powerco.

At Vision Manawatu we believe knowledge drives value and builds dynamic economies. So we focus on those sectors that are knowledge-based and show a passion for growth.

We believe these key areas in the Manawatu are

•  Integrated Education
•  Smart Business
•  Bio Industry.

The Manawatu education sector provides over 4,500 full-time equivalent jobs and has the infrastructure to attract students from all round the world. There are 10,000 full-time students in Palmerston North and 40 percent of the city’s population is taking a course at a tertiary institution.

There are over 13,000 full-time equivalent employees in general business activities in the Manawatu. We refer to those businesses which are outstandingly entrepreneurial as ‘smart businesses’. These are characterised by their constant innovation, advanced distribution systems, intellectual property and highly skilled staff.

The Manawatu region has a huge bioscience research capability, with over 765 full-time equivalent researchers (excluding Massey University). This is a higher proportion of the working population than that in Dunedin or Auckland, and is one of the highest researcher-per capita ratios in the world.