Company-X director and surfer Jeremy Hughes chose the Waikato to establish his software specialist company.

The Silicon Valley of New Zealand is right here in the Waikato.

"We see the Waikato as a really interesting technology hub," Microsoft New Zealand general manager Barrie Sheers says. "There's a major opportunity around that."

The region has earned a reputation for producing New Zealand's best technologists at the university and is ideal for many businesses because of its geologic stability.

SUPPLIED Head of Waikato University's cyber security Lab, Dr Ryan Ko says the region has an international reputation for being tech savvy.

In the last four years, Microsoft has helped 31 Waikato technology start-ups through its BizSpark programme.

BizSpark gives qualifying start-up businesses three years of free software, services, tech support and access to the Azure cloud computing suite. To qualify, start-ups must be less than five years old, be privately held and earn less than $1 million annually.

Sheers spent time recently with close to 100 representatives from Waikato businesses and discovered exceptionally high digital literacy, both behind the scenes and from a business user's perspective.

"We have done that in other regions and digital literacy has not been as high," says Sheers, who joined Microsoft in July from Dell.

As a result, Sheers and his senior Auckland-based team plan to spend more time in the Waikato, helping businesses build the region's digital economy.

"The response and reaction you get is really interesting," Sheers says. "The response is, whoa, the head of Microsoft is coming down. Of course I am. Maybe other industries don't.

"Part of that comes from my personal style," Sheers says. "It maps on to Microsoft's mission statement: empowering every person on the planet to do more and the only way to do that is by getting out."

Jeremy Hughes, director of Hamilton-based software specialist Company-X, describes Sheers' plans as "fantastic news".

"If anything, it reinforces what our experience is through our work."

Hughes moved from Auckland to establish his new business in the Waikato three years ago because of the region's reputation.

"When we come to some kind of technology requirement beyond our experience, invariably we find a Waikato business with the expertise to fill that gap."

Hughes chose the Waikato, too, because of its geological stability, its proximity to Auckland, and his ability to live and work in Raglan, where he can surf.

"You could call Hamilton SiliTron," he says, blending the word Silicon with Hamilton's nickname.

SIngapore-raised Waikato University cyber security expert Dr Ryan Ko, who was based in Silicon Valley when he worked for HP Labs, agrees the Waikato is comparabale to Silicon Valley.

"I think it is a fair comparison," the senior lecturer in the university's department of computer science says.

"When I came here, my main attraction was the international reputation of the machine learning group and the network group in the university.

"Our students are well regarded and we get great feedback from employers. So far, in my three years here, I have not received negative feedback."

Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive William Durning says the region plays a pivotal role in the country's digital economy.

"If we see technology as an enabler, we are nimble and fast-moving here. The region is fit for purpose, with good infrastructure, great people and great talents. All the building blocks are there to make the Waikato a great place to live."

WaikatoLink Ltd spinout 11Ants Analytics chief executive Tom Fuyala says BizSpark was a massive thing for his company, which built a retail analytical platform.

"Microsoft should be applauded for this initiative," Fuyala says.

"I think it's a fantastic thing that Barrie's intending to spend more time here talking to and helping businesses – the more visibility and input Waikato businesses have to people of Barrie's calibre and position, the better. This is massively valuable to local companies."