Also, I could hardly believe it when I found out State Services was losing half their core IT team (or something like that? Can’t recall details). If the Govt was really keen about increasing state sector productivity those would probably be the *last* people they should have laid off.

I recently attended the Entrepreneurship Summit (in the capacity of a ‘helper’) where I was disappointed by two aspects: 1; the reliance on government to create change and 2; the lack of awareness of the size of our economic problem i.e. a 30 billion pa one just to get to back to baseline, leading to ideas around agricultural productivity and tourism both which have small impacts in terms of the grand scheme of things. Being a uni student with an interest in building this new-aged economy, these signs aren’t too encouraging. I wonder how many have read Paul’s book or one of the other reports/ books about stimulating our enconomy ( a NZ Institute report or Steven Carden’s NZ Unleshed).

Cheers
Graeme

I find it ironic that in the U.S. “cleantech” businesses are attracting funding yet in NZ we remain bogged down in the filthy muck producing industries of the 20th century. We should be exporting knowledge based services such as design and engineering services for geothermal or windpower or commercialising pastoral greenhouse gas agricultural solutions, rather than being held to ransom by the vagaries of commodity prices.

I think knowledge businesses will simply get on and do it anyway, but perhaps to a lesser extent than if there was a national leadership drive behind it. When I look at what one man has achieved utilising his vision for the film and digital animation industry here, it demonstrates what is possible – with the right connections and access to capital. Why can’t we replicate this for our software industry for example?

Unfortunately, building and leveraging a globally networked knowledge industry ecosystem is a brave concept that government has always struggled with, despite efforts from many of us. Without government led efforts to develop the requisite social capital and communications infrastructure, this is where we will continue to fall down.

Pretty much echoing my thoughts as well. I have recently read Paul’s book and it’s great to hear such content being produced from a scientist.
Hopefully I should be posting a review + my thoughts on it soon enough.

While I see and get involved with pushing the same message at my university, it does begin to frustrate when the forces above seem to go in the other direction. Especially given our Aussie neighbours recently announced a 25% increase in science & innovation funding.

I will leave you with a recent item from one of my Beehive RSS Feeds that will provide even more confusion

“Budget 2009 recognises the critical role science and technology will play in the economic recovery through substantial extra funding, Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp says.”

I’d like to see his definitions of critical and substantial…..

Cheers
Graeme