A group of emerging technology professionals has spent the past 12 weeks developing practical AI solutions for two Western Bay of Plenty businesses as part of the region’s first BOP AI Accelerator.

The pilot was delivered through a partnership between Seen Ventures, New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST), and the Ministry of Social Development, with strong regional support from Priority One.

Priority One helped connect the programme with local businesses, ensuring participants could apply their skills to genuine operational challenges rather than hypothetical classroom exercises. This gave them experience working with the realities of a business environment, where solutions need to be useful, practical and grounded in the needs of the people who will use them.

Multidisciplinary teams worked alongside Dominion Salt and Trevelyan’s to understand their operations, identify where AI could provide value and develop practical prototypes.

For Dominion Salt, the team developed an AI-supported knowledge and training prototype. The concept explored how trusted operational information could be made easier for employees to access, helping to support more consistent workplace learning and reduce the time spent searching for the right information.

For Trevelyan’s, the team delivered a working AI prediction-model prototype to support crop estimation. More accurate estimation has the potential to inform decisions across workforce planning, packing, storage and logistics, helping the business prepare earlier and use its resources more effectively.

Throughout the accelerator, participants experienced the realities of developing AI solutions within a business. They learned how to investigate an operational challenge, work with stakeholders, assess the information available, test ideas and turn an initial concept into a functioning prototype.

This process also highlighted that successful AI adoption is not simply about choosing a technology. It requires a clear understanding of the problem, reliable information and close collaboration with the people who understand the business best.

For Dominion Salt and Trevelyan’s, the accelerator provided an opportunity to explore how AI could address a meaningful challenge while working alongside emerging local talent. It enabled both businesses to test ideas and consider their potential before committing to a larger investment.

The pilot demonstrates what can happen when education, industry and government work together around genuine regional needs. It provides a practical model for building local AI capability while helping Western Bay of Plenty organisations explore opportunities that may otherwise feel difficult or out of reach.

It also creates a pathway for emerging professionals to build the kind of practical experience employers need, strengthening the region’s technology capability while keeping talent connected to local businesses and opportunities.

The first cohort will present its work at the BOP AI Accelerator Graduation on Friday, 21 August 2026. Members of the regional business community are invited to meet the graduates, hear from the programme partners and see the prototypes developed during the pilot.

The graduation will be held from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm in Room A-03, beside the Information Centre at Toi Ohomai’s Windermere Campus.

Organisations interested in practical AI adoption, developing regional talent or participating in a future accelerator are warmly invited to attend.

Register at: https://forms.gle/9nmoTt268Fu3CSnMA