Increase in Kiwis investing in the UK

Kiwi companies are increasingly realising the importance of a British presence for distributing or reselling their products, a UK trade body says.

Figures from UK Trade and Investment show that in 2005, the number of New Zealand companies investing in Britain grew by 16, double the number the previous year.

They included Whispertech, Datasquirt and Patriot Systems.

More than 100 New Zealand businesses have offices in the UK.

Tim Holmes, UK Trade and Investment's director-general for Australia and New Zealand, said businesses were seeking UK expertise in research, cutting edge technology and design. They were also using it as a springboard into Europe or further afield.

- NZPA