academyEX has launched The Play Lab in Auckland, offering a hands-on professional learning space focused on emerging technologies and play-driven exploration for adults.
The Play Lab, created by the team behind The Mind Lab and the AI Experience Lab, is designed to enable professionals to engage directly with technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, Internet of Things (IoT), sensors, and artificial intelligence. This new facility aims to reinvigorate professional development by making learning active, collaborative, and experimentation-based rather than relying on traditional methods.
"Today's kids are already miles ahead - they've grown up with this tech. It's the adults who need a safe space to experiment, explore and learn. We designed The Play Lab for adults because the best way to master the future is to play with it," said Frances Valintine, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of academyEX.
Valintine explained that The Play Lab is grounded in the belief that the most effective learning comes from active, playful engagement.
"The concept is to support professionals to learn through doing, to build confidence with new and emerging technologies, and discover new ways to innovate and be creative. We're applying what we know about how humans learn best - through play, experimentation and collaboration - to the world of professional development," she added.
The purpose-built space is available for bookings by teams and current academyEX learners. Its environment is intended to help adults rediscover curiosity and adaptability in response to the rapidly shifting landscape of business and technology.
Frances Valintine has a history of challenging traditional educational models in New Zealand.
With the launch of The Mind Lab twelve years ago, Valintine brought robotics, coding, and creativity to thousands of school-aged children across several cities, reaching more than 250,000 children. The Mind Lab received international recognition, and Valintine was the only New Zealander named among the 'Top 50 Global Movers and Shakers in EdTech' by a global panel that included representatives from Google, LinkedIn, and the Gates Foundation.
The Play Lab builds on the approach first seen in academyEX's AI Experience Lab, which was New Zealand's first practical AI learning environment for small business owners. Reflecting on this development, Valintine said, "Learning isn't a luxury, and it shouldn't be reserved for seminars or workshops. Learning should be baked into your career - because in a world where AI evolves by the day, customer expectations shift by the hour and new regulations drop every quarter, curiosity isn't optional - it's essential. The Play Lab makes it easy for teams to ensure they make learning a priority in a way that is highly applicable to their particular context."
The educational design of The Play Lab is based on research showing that play is not exclusive to early childhood and is equally beneficial for adult learners. According to Valintine, "What we've learned is that the principles of good learning don't change with age. Adults, like children, learn best when they're engaged, curious, and free to experiment without fear of failure. The Play Lab creates that environment for professionals who may have forgotten how to play - and in doing so, unlocks their potential for innovation."
The facility includes digital fabrication equipment, collaborative workstations, and areas set aside for brainstorming and development, drawing inspiration from leading maker spaces and innovation labs internationally.
The Play Lab operates alongside academyEX's wider educational offerings, which range from accredited micro-credentials to full Masters degrees in areas such as Technological Futures and Organisational Resilience. The institution's courses are geared towards adult learners, including mid-career professionals, returning learners, and migrants.
Valintine explained the institution's model: "At academyEX, we've designed our approach to reflect the idea of daily, active learning."
"Long, passive lectures are a thing of the past. Whether you're doing a micro-credential or a Masters degree, the model is the same: active, applied and designed to make an immediate impact. We're not just teaching content; we're helping people rediscover confidence, purpose and community. Traditional education isn't built for that. We are."
The new Innovation Residency Programme will also have participants using The Play Lab. This ten-week intensive experience connects learners with the New Zealand innovation sector, enabling them to earn two international micro-credentials while working on real-world problems.
"In just 10 weeks, participants prototype, collaborate and experiment inside The Play Lab with a global cohort of future-focused professionals. It's where play meets purpose," said Valintine. "We're not just playing for the sake of it - though that would be valuable too - we're playing with intent, using these technologies to solve problems that matter."
academyEX is planning to expand The Play Lab concept to further regions and sectors in the future. The organisation is seeing increasing interest from corporate clients seeking a more relevant and interactive approach to professional development.
"We're at the forefront of a significant shift in how we think about adult learning and professional development," Valintine said.
"The Play Lab is demonstrating that learning through play isn't just enjoyable - it's essential for the kind of adaptive, creative thinking our rapidly changing world demands."
