Eden Park and partners ask students to Solve It

New Zealand’s iconic Eden Park has been confirmed as the lead supporter for this year’s Solve It, a unique programme from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, designed to bring students together with real-world industry problems. Delivered by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), Solve It is an intensive week-long innovation sprint that calls on students to think boldly, collaborate widely, and ideate solutions with real impact.

As part of its commitment to innovation and community, Eden Park has invited a selection of its commercial partners to join in the initiative. AA Insurance, Samsung and Permobil (a global leader in advanced rehabilitation technology) will also challenge students to help shape the future with fresh thinking and multidisciplinary insights. Together, these organisations are providing a rare opportunity for students to work on live challenges, with thousands of dollars in prize money on offer for the best ideas.

Solve It is a standout programme in the CIE calendar. Over five days, teams of students from across the University form, get briefed by partners, and then sprint through the design thinking process. Each team tackles one of the industry-provided problem statements, developing innovative solutions while being supported through a structured learning journey. The sprint culminates in a high-energy pitch event where teams present to a panel of judges. The rewards go beyond cash prizes. Participants gain invaluable real-world experience, build new networks, and develop skills that will help them stand out in their future careers.

CIE Director Darsel Keane says, “We’re grateful to the team at Eden Park for this opportunity to collaborate to bring this year’s Solve It programme to life. The Eden Park and University of Auckland partnership is built on shared ambitions to ensure Auckland is a great place to live, work and play, and to facilitate innovations that will inspire future generations. Solve It really exemplifies this ambition, and I can’t wait to see the programme come together.

It’s always exciting to be around the energy of a group of bright and motivated students, working on real-world issues.”

The heart of Solve It lies in the relevance and challenge of the problems put forward by the partners. Previous years have seen students wrestle with topics as diverse as increasing live organ donations, improving logistics, and addressing equity in workplace retention. This year’s partners are equally invested in shaping their challenges to provoke thoughtful, impactful responses. At a recent workshop on campus, representatives from Eden Park, AA Insurance, Samsung and Permobil collaborated on defining their problem statements.

Simon Winstanley, commercial manager at Eden Park, shared, “It was great to learn about the problem-definition process and to bring together a variety of our partners to collaborate on this project. There’s a high level of excitement around this opportunity to hear the perspective of students around some specific organisational challenges, and to provide Solve It participants with industry experience.”

Solve It will run from 1 to 5 September 2025. Whether students are looking to test their problem-solving mettle, connect with like-minded peers, or work alongside some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most recognised organisations, Solve It promises to deliver an unforgettable, high-impact learning experience.