NZTech Inform: digital trust and our economic future

Last week, it was wonderful to catch up with members at our first in-person NZTech event for some time. While online meetings will continue to be useful, conversations and connections in real life remain unsurpassed.  It was an excellent event with an engaging update from Kaye-Maree Dunn about the research underway mapping the Māori Tech Ecosystem. Duane Grace then discussed Te Huakirangi, an indigenous digital apprenticeship pathway that has launched in Australia and New Zealand through the Kalinda tiaki Foundation. Māori make up four percent of the current tech workforce, so initiatives like these are critical for creating a better New Zealand underpinned by tech.

Kaye-Maree is a previous NZTech Board member and Duane is currently on the Board. Along with other past NZTech Board members like Belinda Allen and Robett Hollis, they have been encouraging and supporting NZTech’s understanding of Te Tiriti, introduction of Tikanga in Tech and most recently the decision to develop a kaupapa Māori sub-board. NZTech is currently seeking nominations for the NZTech Board and it would be great to see others from the Māori tech ecosystem nominated to help continue our work to create a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous Aotearoa New Zealand underpinned by good tech.

Next month, NZTech and Digital Identity NZ are hosting the Digital Trust Summit/Hui Taumata in Wellington. Few topics are as critical to Aotearoa’s future prosperity and the wellbeing of its people as trust. This Summit brings world leading speakers on the subject to New Zealand. Establishing and maintaining trust in the digital world is relevant to everyone, so I strongly recommend you attend and be part of the discussion. 

Involved in R&D or innovation? Join me online tomorrow at our NZTech Inform Event: New Innovation Grants. Along with Dr Jeremy Smith, Senior Policy Advisor in the Innovation Policy team at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) we will discuss the new innovation grants, including:

• who is eligible for the new innovation grants?
• when will the new innovation grants be available?
• when in a business’s journey will grants have the most impact?
• what non-R&D tasks and costs will be supported?
• what support do new to R&D businesses require?
• how can businesses best prepare to access the RDTI?
• what happens if recipients exit New Zealand?

Finally, tomorrow I am meeting Minister Woods to provide an update on NZTech’s work and discuss ideas on the potential for more rapid digitisation of the energy sector as a means of achieving emission reduction goals.  

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori 

Graeme Muller
CEO
NZTech

PS: Catch up on TechweekTV here on-demand.