Queenstown-Lakes District Council

Niche industry cluster facilitation - Stage 3

This plan relates to the purchase of two separate service contracts to facilitate niche industry clusters within the Queenstown Lakes district. These niche industries are identified as areas of potential job and business growth in the Economic Diversification Plan - Projects 3.1 (Host-Tech) and 3.2 (Outdoor Products). A niche industry is one where a number of businesses specialise in a particular area of expertise or market. By building deep experience in one area, this creates a strategic advantage and the potential for higher margins and export opportunities. Cluster development is an approach that uses impartial facilitators to foster ‘co-opetition’ amongst existing businesses, so they achieve greater scale through collaborating.
The key objective of this procurement is to build upon previous efforts to support the Host-Tech and Product Design (outdoor) niches by fostering collaboration, driving data-driven development, expanding cluster development, organising relevant events, and positioning the district as a leader in both hospitality/tourism technology and outdoor products.
The procurement’s proposed outcomes are to achieve growth of existing businesses within these niches, attraction of new ones, and diversification of career opportunities in the district.