Healthcare

Specialist areas include bioactives (functional ingredients, nutraceuticals and supplements), health IT, medical technologies and medical research.

International demand across the the global health sector is expanding and evolving, and New Zealand is well placed to respond. It has comparative advantages over many other countries, including clinical training and research. It also has unique flora and fauna from which bioactives can be derived.

In addition, New Zealand has internationally-recognised leadership and collaboration across the wider health sector, in particular primary health care.

• A 2007 Commonwealth Fund survey conducted in 2007 shows New Zealand is ranked first in patient-centred care
• A 2006 report into the health systems of developed countries shows New Zealand general practitioners have the second highest rate of electronic record use in the world
• Practice management software is currently estimated to be used by 95 percent of New Zealand general practices for patient administration, such as waiting room management, billing and referral orders and results

The global healthcare opportunity

Most developed nations spend between 7 to 17 percent of their GDP on healthcare. With health costs generally increasing more rapidly than GDP there is an international appetite for solutions to contain costs while maintaining or improving good health outcomes. This requires innovation across the continuum of care in both service delivery and in the technologies that support delivery.

The growth of the global market for medical technology is one example of how the healthcare market is expanding. According to the Medical Technologies Special Interest Group, the total value of the market was US$196.8 billion in 2007 – an increase of 56.8 percent since 2000. This figure is predicted to reach US $266 billion by 2012. 

How NZTE can help the healthcare industry

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) aims to help position New Zealand at the leading edge of the global health industry and to create new products and services, more economic wealth, more commercial investment, better health outcomes and more efficient health delivery.

NZTE is working closely with the Ministry of Health, the New Zealand Health IT Cluster, Natural Products New Zealand, NZBIO and a range of public and private sector companies and agencies involved with all aspects of the health sector, including patient care, management, health technology and IT, bioactives and medical technologies.

Key activities include:

• Promoting internationalisation – building and promoting New Zealand’s health capability and presence in targeted international markets. This includes establishing New Zealand’s presence at events such as Medica, the world’s largest medical trade show, and ongoing promotion of New Zealand’s health capabilities.
• Building industry capability - building industry capability and collaboration so that New Zealand healthcare firms can be sustainable and competitive in international markets.
• Strengthening the health innovation environment – including facilitating links and alignment across the health sector (including government) and between the health and commercial sectors, and ensuring that New Zealand has an environment that encourages commercialisation. In 2008 NZTE and the Ministry of Health partnered to deliver the INNOV’08 summit, bringing together health innovators from across the sector.

To find out more about NZTE’s work in the healthcare industry, or to talk with an NZTE representative about participating in initiatives in the industry:

• Contact your NZTE account manager (if you have one).
• If you do not have an NZTE account manager, find out how to access NZTE programmes and services.
• Find market research relating to healthcare in the Explore Export Markets section of this website.
• check out our Events section for information on upcoming events relating to healthcare.

Focus on Health, a New Zealand innovation challenge

Focus on Health, a New Zealand innovation challenge gives New Zealanders the opportunity to commercialise health solutions in the United States.

• Find out more about the challenge.