The Minister for Science and Innovation Wayne Mapp has announced a $2.8 million entrepreneur development programme and a hi-tech hub in San Francisco to boost NZ's digital technologies industry.
The government has announced a $2.8 million talent development programme and the launch of a high-tech hub in San Francisco to boost New Zealand’s digital technologies industry.
Science and Innovation Minister Dr Wayne Mapp today announced that the government will invest $2.8 million over four years to support up to 20 entrepreneurs each year. The money would be used to help them grow high-value, global innovative businesses, a release from the Minister said.
The IT sector was a “huge” market growth area, and New Zealand a “hotbed” of IT innovation, Dr Mapp said in a statement.
“This will help them to get their ideas ready for the market and increase their chances of securing investment capital.”
Dr Mapp said in the statement that the programme would involve introducing the chosen entrepreneurs to mentors in New Zealand and overseas, and linking them into innovation and business networks.
He said there was a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs developing in New Zealand, who knew they needed to connect innovation, opportunity and market acumen to achieve commercial success on the world stage.
Dr Mapp also announced the government would invest $US300,000 to set up the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Francisco, initiated by TradeMe founder Sam Morgan. The Landing Pad would be a hub for New Zealand high-tech businesses in the area and was supported by Sir Stephen Tindall, Rod Drury of Xero and John Holt.
Dr Mapp said the Landing Pad was an example of a public-private partnership where Government helped to open doors for New Zealand businesses to the international stage.
“The Landing Pad is like a shop front where New Zealand businesses can physically be together and tap into each other’s networks and connections. It will help our high-tech businesses get access o the US market.”
Dr Mapp said there was an appetite in the business community to put New Zealand on the map as a ‘smart nation’.
Rich Lister Rod Drury said Xero had moved in last week to the hub which was south of the Market district. He said the company had already found the locale good for recruitment, since many software technicians did not want to live outside the city.
He said it was good for Xero to be able to call itself a Silicon Valley company, and the initiative would be good for New Zealand companies, with many starting to move in next month.
"All of the New Zealand companies are kind of spurring each other on and sharing their contacts...there's a real buzz going on."
