Aspiring tech superhero Petr Bublienko

22 November 2023

Surrounded by technology, machines whirring in the background and the smell of melted polylactic in the air – this is where Petr Bublienko feels most at home. Watching him confidently navigate Kura Matahuna Unleash Space, you are bound to think that Petr is an engineering student. But far from it – while Petr works at the makerspace as a Creative Technologist, supporting other students in completing various projects and delivering technology trainings, he is actually a business student.

Petr came to New Zealand all by himself at age 16, when his mother decided it would be beneficial for him to complete high school in an English-speaking country. New Zealand was her first choice as he already had an uncle living there. Attending university in New Zealand was the logical consequence for him. “The original plan was that, just in case, I’ll return back home with an international degree and will find the job there. Personally, I’ve wanted to study mechatronics, but the odds didn’t quite play in my favor. So a new plan was that I’ll study business and major in innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on the commercialisation of scientific industry and stuff, and I would do mechatronics as a hobby”, Petr explains.

A source of inspiration for Petr is Iron Man. Not only does he aspire to own a big mansion and a garage full of cars like him one day, but he also sees examples of applied entrepreneurship and technology in Iron Man. “Iron Man got trapped in a cave and there was pretty much no way out. And unlike all of the other superheroes that were given these amazing incredible abilities that makes them superpowered, Iron Man had to find a way to get himself out, just by using his imagination and creativeness. And this is what technology means to me, the ability to overcome challenges through technology.”

According to Petr, in order to be able to follow one’s creative ideas, a certain freedom is needed that is offered through entrepreneurship. “When you own your business, you hopefully earn enough of money that will allow to dedicate yourself to yourself, and to realize your creative potential and explore different things in life.”

There are multiple possible business ideas Petr is considering, ranging from food technologies to medical solutions.

However, now that Petr has graduated with a degree in business, he wants to acquire some practical experience and hopes to join an established company before starting his own venture.

Thinking about his future plans and reminiscing about his time at university, Petr recalls that it was anything but easy and times and that he is especially thankful for his involvement with the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). “My first year, we started basically for a couple of months and then the whole year was lockdown. And I didn’t make any friends in those two months. So, it was me and four walls – very depressing”, Petr remembers. Things started looking up when he came across CIE, where he started working as a Creative Technologist. “CIE became like a beacon to me. I made a lot of friends that are probably friends for life and I am super grateful for that opportunity. And apparently, I am well known across campus, because sometimes people I have taught just approach me to say hi. So, in that sense, it has enabled me to make friends on a wider scale, beyond my faculty. It also allowed me to expand my skillset. I learned cool stuff like operating a laser cutter or a vinyl cutter or a CNC, which I had not used before in my life. Now I even have my own CNC and 3D printer at home. Also, my work at CIE has opened some cool doors. For example, I got the opportunity to go and see how people work in the creative design and manufacturing lab in Newmarket and they allowed me to use some of their cool tech. Connections like that allow me to expand my worldview.”