NZ’s international tech reputation growing

A constant stream of international business delegations are arriving in New Zealand to learn more about our innovation ecosystem and to look for the next big thing in tech.

Last week, the social innovation team from one of the world’s largest companies, South Korea’s SK Group, visited New Zealand prompted by a growing awareness of New Zealand’s high-tech sector.

Having met with a small number of NZ tech firms visiting Seoul recently they were impressed with both the companies and how well the NZ tech ecosystem collaborates together and with government, NZTech chairman Mitchell Pham says.

“With an investment focus that includes social innovation, SK were attracted by New Zealand’s culture and values, helped by things such as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s statement at the New Zealand High Tech Awards that ‘we may not be best in the world, but we can be best for the world’.

“The SK social innovation team met with both government and tech organisations including Centrality, Dotterel, Animation Research, Weta Workshop and NZTech.

“Before leaving New Zealand SK Telecom and NZTech signed an agreement to collaborate on ensuring New Zealand tech firms have access and exposure to the capital and ecosystem of SK Telecom. The wider SK group has 70,000 employees who work from 113 offices worldwide,” Pham says.

NZTech will continue to work closely with the initiator of the special connection, the NZ Chamber of Commerce in South Korea, to identify further opportunities for NZ tech firms.

Through the collaborative work of NZTech with the New Zealand Tech Story Group, NZTE and MBIE the development of a strong cohesive set of messages about the New Zealand tech story is starting to make a difference.

The Upstarters campaign focuses on the attributes of Kiwi tech and aligns well with a #goodfortheworld message that is attracting interest from countries as diverse as Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the EU.

NZTech brings together 22 tech associations with more than 1000 members who collectively employ more than 10 percent of the New Zealand workforce.

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