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The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ranks New Zealand second in the world for innovation.
New Zealand, perched on the edge of the world, has leapt onto the global radar with its Lord of the Rings landscapes and digital wizardry.
True to Kiwi character (unpretentious and unassuming) New Zealand’s entrepreneurial culture has been kept a quiet southern hemisphere secret. But no longer: the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ranks New Zealand second in the world for innovation, ahead of the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Furthermore, for the second year in a row, New Zealand has been named by the World Bank as the best country in the world in which to do business.
As the centre of ICT in New Zealand, Christchurch is New Zealand’s digital city. Its high-tech sector contributes $1.6 billion towards GDP. The city boasts over 50% of all software development in New Zealand with more than 200 software companies established in the region and an estimated one in every 300 people in Christchurch writing software for a living.
Christchurch is also home to New Zealand’s largest electronic multi-nationals: these key companies contribute over $1 billion to the economy and over $360 million in export sales per annum.
Air New Zealand and Pratt and Whitney have taken advantage of Christchurch’s specialist strengths in aeronautical engineering and avionics. They have located their major engineering workshop and Engine Centre at the city’s international airport.
The strong local engineering sector is complemented by the University of Canterbury’s excellent Engineering Department which produces world-class graduates and leads many research projects. A high proportion of Christchurch ICT companies have been started by graduates – many of which are world class (Tait, Humanware, Dynamic Controls, Switchtec)