Ara Manawa is an interdisciplinary research, design and innovation studio inside Te Toka Tumai. We are a team of creative problem solvers who develop solutions to challenges in Papakainga Atawhai (Auckland Hospital) and our wider health sector.
There are numerous challenges within our sector that require creative and collaborative ways of thinking and doing, to produce a prosperous future for our people. The status quo is no longer an option that serves us. Our team creates tangible outcomes to bring to life ideas that catalyse us into te ao hau (the new world) - generating captivating solutions that are evidence-based, future-ready and grounded in reality. Our solutions embrace and champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability.
We turn Te Toka Tumai inside out, revealing it as an innovation hot spot. We match ideas with the right problem solvers through partnerships in the healthcare ecosystem, whether it’s a faculty within a research institute, startups, communities, or government. Relationships are paramount to the way we work, and we understand that health challenges are too complex to be solved within silos.
Novel discovery takes place at the intersections of an interconnected ecosystem.
Think of Ara Manawa as these intersections.
“Ara Manawa has two components; ‘Ara’ to create, find, or forge a path. Think of a whale finding its way through the ocean or a bird navigating to a destination. ‘Manawa’ means heartbeat, capturing intelligence, or a psychic knowing. Thereby reflecting the creativity of the team.”
— Dame Naida Glavish, 2018
Our Team
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Learn more about the origins of Ara Manawa
