Grow Wellington releases high tech manufacturing strategy
Regional economic development agency Grow Wellington has published its regional manufacturing sector strategy aimed at
developing high value manufacturing.
The strategy focuses on improving manufacturers’ knowledge of product design and development, identifying potential
markets for their products and collaborating with the region’s strong ICT sector.
Grant Lumsden, Grow Wellington’s Sector Development Manager for Manufacturing, says developing businesses’ ability to
design, engineer and market their own products will improve their competitiveness.
“If you have a product that has a high amount of labour content then it’s going to be a challenge to compete against the
likes of Vietnam, Bangladesh or Philippines. By adding more value to products, increasing automation, and owning
intellectual property, businesses will have more opportunity to grow and survive changing environments,” Mr Lumsden
says.
Grow Wellington believes manufacturing in the region is in a strong position to contribute more to regional and export
GDP, and employ higher-skilled people in higher earning jobs. “The strategy aims to address some of the larger
challenges faced by the manufacturing sector,” Mr Lumsden says.
“One of the things that will help our manufacturing sector is a strong start-up scene. We need a pipeline of new product
ideas and people with skills in product development and commercialisation.”
In order to deliver the new strategy, Grow Wellington will work in partnership with central government agencies
including New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, to find attractive suitable overseas markets for regional manufacturers, and
with Callaghan Innovation to encourage research and development.
Mr Lumsden says Grow Wellington has already started a series of forums for manufacturers to connect with software
providers.
“These forums bring together those working in the physical manufacturing domain with people working in the software
space to explore ways of working together. The aim is they will together eventually create unique and improved products
with high intellectual property.”
The strategy is being published on the Grow Wellington website today and being released to stakeholders and businesses.
Grow Wellington also has plans to release strategies for its other priority sectors of ICT, screen and digital and
primary sectors in the coming months.
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