By Yoke Har Lee
A new lobby group seeking to represent the high-tech industries wants the two major political parties to commit themselves to open dialogue after the general elections.
Called the New Zealand High-Tech Council, the group had its first meeting after the High-Tech Industry Forum in Christchurch at the weekend.
Industry groups represented by the council are Technology Exports New Zealand, the Export Association of New Zealand, the New Zealand Internet Institute, the New Zealand Software Association and the New Zealand Intellectual Capital Foundation (NZInc).
John Blackham of the NZInc told the Business Herald that the group would serve as an equivalent of the Business Roundtable, advising the Government on developments affecting the high-tech industry, which was now voiceless.
"One of the first things we need is Government buy-in. We hope to secure commitment for dialogue from the two major political parties," Mr Blackham said.
Because the high-tech economy is now so broadly defined, the group is careful whom it admits.
The debate is over whether some industries deemed traditional, such as agriculture, can be high-tech and knowledge-based.
"If we open up too wide [the definition of high tech], we would end up being taken over by the Federated Farmers or the Dairy Board and be a further mouthpiece for two already very powerful organisations," said Mr Blackham.
John Ball, convening chairman of the council and president of the NZ Software Association, said that according to public statistics, the high-tech industry generated four times the export earnings of the wine industry last year ($479 million compared with $97.3 million) "but nobody knows who we are."
Including the telecommunications sector, the domestic and export value of the high-tech industry was more than $9 billion, Mr Ball said.
"An industry of this size with the contribution we are making to the economy deserves far more recognition."
Mr Blackham said the council would act as an adviser to the Government in implementing the right policies to support the industry's development.
This covered the area of infrastructure development such as education, addressing financing gaps and incubator programmes, among others.
Mr Blackham said: "We are not a stick-wielding body."
High-tech group seeks Govt voice
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