Information and Communications Technology - Delivering superior value

• Sector overview
• Strategy
• Key projects
• ICT Capability Map
• Digital Strategy
• Publications

Sector overview

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an integral part of the New Zealand economy, contributing $6.2 billion, or 5.1 percent, to GDP.

The ICT sector:

• Provides the equivalent of 36,300 full-time jobs
• Includes around 8,800 New Zealand companies, of which 8.5 percent have annual revenues of more than $1 million.

The ICT sector offers a high-value opportunity to help grow the New Zealand economy. It is a key enabler and driver of productivity in the economy, such as through providing links in global value chains.

The Growth and Innovation Framework identifies Information and Communications Technology as a key sector in New Zealand’s economic wellbeing because of its ability to lift productivity and its status as a powerhouse of economic growth in its own right.

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Strategy

The ICT Taskforce report, published in 2003, recommended an ambitious goal of ICT in New Zealand contributing 10 percent of GDP (up from 4.3 percent at the time) by 2012.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) can help New Zealand ICT companies to achieve this goal by improving their capabilities in product development, commercialisation and exporting. We can also use our international networks to identify niche market opportunities, help companies to enter and develop offshore markets and develop a global presence.

The long-term objective is to create an environment in which New Zealand ICT companies can become world-class businesses, while also increasing ICT uptake to lift productivity throughout the economy.

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Key projects

1. Increase the international profile of New Zealand and New Zealand technology companies within multi-national corporations (MNCs), create high value revenue opportunities by leveraging MNCs’ channels to market and over the longer term build a base of capability that encourages further MNC investment in New Zealand.
2. Working with a number of leading New Zealand Health IT companies, the New Zealand Health IT Cluster, other domestic agencies (eg Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, Ministry of Health, District Health Boards), and key international partners (eg Microsoft and EDS) to generate potential net economic benefit from the New Zealand Health IT sector. The project will primarily centre around the US and Canada.
3. Transport and logistics: Working with a small number of New Zealand ICT companies to help solve business problems for a major offshore rail company, fostering collaboration in the supply and demand sides of the industry to develop business opportunities, and obtaining targeted market intelligence, particularly in Europe, where significant investment and EU directives provide strong drivers for growth.
4. The Farmgate project: developing and demonstrating an integrated ICT farm management system on a high-yielding combined sheep/beef/deer property.

To read more about the ICT sector and key organisations, visit these websites:

MarketNewZealand.com
New Zealand Health IT Cluster website

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ICT Capability Map

This online capability map is a snapshot of leading edge New Zealand ICT companies. It represents more than 300 New Zealand companies in the industry sub-sectors of health IT, payment solutions, communications, and transport and logistics.

The capability map aims to generate increased awareness of the New Zealand ICT sector which in turn will result in more business for New Zealand ICT companies. This will be achieved by greater collaboration between New Zealand companies, and more international investment through greater knowledge of New Zealand companies.

View the map at:

www.lightspeedanalyst.com/nz

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Digital Strategy

The Digital Strategy has been developed by several government agencies and coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development. It is a strategy about how we will create a digital future for all New Zealanders, using the power of information and communications technology to enhance all aspects of our lives.

For more information, please visit the Digital Strategy website at:

www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz

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Publications

>> ICT Taskforce documents

Commercialising innovation (September 2005)
A pocket guide to business issues that New Zealand-based software developers need to consider. 

For other ICT publications see the Publications section.