ION is an online community of innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors and investors focussed on the technology sector. ION assists with business development, facilitates mentorship, and builds collaborative relationships between innovators, entrepreneurs and investors in the high technology arena.

ION also hosts New Zealand's leading online public discussion forum in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship.We are currently supporting the "Migrant Networks Research Project" in conjunction with the AsiaNZ foundation. By using the online community we hope to connect to recent or intending skilled migrants or business migrants and learn more about how they network to find jobs, start businesses or make social contacts. There are links to resources on the forum and where possible we make helpful introductions.

Both migrants and New Zealand business people are warmly invited to participate in a virtual discussion within New Zealand's Innovators Online Network community forum - ION (www.ion.net.nz).  It is hoped that migrants will interact not only with each other, but also with local businesses as well as various agencies that support migrant integration. The discussion will be facilitated by a web-moderator in order to pool expertise and develop a peer-support group across New Zealand. Connecting to the migrants' own global networks will be a key feature of the online discussion.

For more information, contact:

Project Coordinator Dr Robin Janson - 07 858 2284 or 021 151 0834

Online Facilitator Paul Spence ¨C 04 478 0527 or 0274 737 314

Asia:NZ Researcher Leonie Moxon  ¨C 04 471 2320 or 027 242 6684