Canterbury tops in high-tech

By RICHARD WOOD

Canterbury is the high-tech capital of the country, says a report from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

The 76-page report says combined revenue for 100 IT and electronics industries in the region totalled $792 million for 2002-2003.

Export earnings were $481 million and 3400 staff were employed.

According to Trade and Enterprise, the IT and electronics industry in Canterbury is 30 per cent larger than in Auckland, and the productivity of $200,000 per employee compares with a national average of $60,000.

The software firms, headed by Jade, account for 22 per cent of total revenue. The big six Canterbury electronics firms - Allied Telesyn, Dynamic Controls, Invensys, Tait, Trimble and Pulse Data - account for 62 per cent and 16 per cent comes from smaller electronics firms.

Direct employment in the industries is predicted to treble over the next four years, with output rising to $1.48 billion.