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Startups in New Caledonia

10/8/2016

 
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A few weeks ago I was planning a trip to Noumea in New Caledonia and thought “I wonder what they are doing with startups?”, as you do. Or at least as I do.
So after some Googling and a few intro emails, I lined up a visit to the New Caledonian Government’s team in charge of innovation.
They were really welcoming and explained that their government is taking innovation seriously, working closely with the University of New Caledonia. They are concentrating on what they have on their doorstep that distinguishes them, and have split this into three.
  1. The marine cluster started in 2012, covering aquaculture, microalgae, a prawn-specific centre and a research centre. Among other things they are trying to work out how to exploit fish waste!
  2. The land cluster started in 2013, covering apiculture (bees) and tropical root research as well as sustainable farming techniques and water management.
  3. The innovation cluster started in 2014, and aims to put all this (and more) together in a commercial way.
The innovation cluster includes the “Incubateur” which is located in Anse Vata, a lovely bay not far from the town centre. Also handily 5 minutes away from the Hilton where we were staying.
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The innovation team asked the startups at the Incubateur if they wanted a chat and the next day I had a good session with Lefteri Chalkiadakis the founder of BIOTECAL. Lefteri and his team are doing whacky stuff with biopolymers.
I did try to use my “another glass of red wine please” French but basically they were all way better in English than I was in French so language was no problem. Their startup scene is in its early infancy and obviously their market is smaller than Australia’s in all regards, but just as we are smaller than the US, it hasn’t stopped either of us seeing the importance of innovation and giving it a damn good try.

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