Swain congratulates Wellington on its ICT strategy

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Paul Swain congratulated ‘Positively Wellington Business’ on the launch of its information and communication technologies (ICT) strategy for the Wellington region.

“This is another step in Wellington’s long history of being at the forefront of ICT development,” said Mr Swain. “The May 2002 Regional Economic Development Agency report on opportunities for the Wellington region economy, completed with assistance from Industry NZ under the Government's Regional Partnerships Programme, identified the ICT sector as one of the region's primary areas of potential sustainable growth.

“In particular the report concluded that the region was well positioned to take advantage of, and develop, a range of new communications technologies including mobile internet, WAP, Internet2 and broadband networks via the Citylink network.

“The concentration of large ICT solutions firms that service the government sector and corporate head offices provides the basis for the maintenance of a highly skilled ICT workforce and a critical mass of resources for smaller innovative niche providers to flourish.

“The strength of the local software and film industries also bodes well for the future of ICT in Wellington. There are opportunities for technology convergence and the leveraging of opportunities between the film, gaming, software and ICT sectors.”

Mr Swain said Wellington’s ICT strategy dovetailed nicely with the recommendations, of the ICT taskforce, which he convened last year.

“The taskforce’s draft report - ‘Breaking through the Barriers’ - set the goal of doubling the ICT sector’s contribution to New Zealand’s GDP from the current 4.3% of GDP to 10% by 2012. To do this the country would need to grow 100 ICT companies each doing $100 million of sales. Although ambitious we believe this target is achievable. Wellington has the potential to be the base for many of these companies,” said Mr Swain.

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