The Government has launched the Digital Technologies Industry Transformation Plan (ITP), which sets out initiatives to accelerate growth in New Zealand's digital technology sector. The ITP is a key tool for delivering on the 'Mahi Ake - Growth' pillar of the Digital Strategy for Aotearoa (Strategy) that was launched in 2022. You can read our insights on the Strategy here.
The ITP has been developed collaboratively by the Government and industry (led by NZTech) with the common goal of driving transformative growth and productivity in the digital technologies sector.
Focus Areas
Following stakeholder engagement, the Budget 2022 and the level of resources available to government and industry, the ITP has prioritised its initiatives into "Immediate Focus Areas" and "Future Focus Areas"[1]. The Immediate Focus Areas involve initiatives that are either underway or soon to commence. The Future Focus Areas are potential initiatives that have been identified as important but which would require further scoping and funding to progress.
Immediate Focus Areas
The Immediate Focus Areas are:
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Growing export success - growing the export potential of New Zealand's digital technology companies, with an initial focus on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) sub-sector and game development as a future priority sub-sector.
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Telling our tech story - showcasing the scope and potential of digital technologies in New Zealand to both overseas and domestic audiences.
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Enhancing the skills and talent pipeline - equipping more New Zealanders, from a wider variety of backgrounds, with the technical and soft skills needed to work and thrive in the digital technologies sector, and to grow businesses in the sector.
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Enriching Māori inclusion and enterprise - promoting and supporting activity that enhances Māori leadership and participation in the digital technologies sector and appropriately builds on mātauranga Māori.
Future Focus Areas
The Future Focus Areas are:
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Data-driven innovation - promoting the understanding of the value of data and supporting the use of data-driven technologies to help fuel innovation, productivity, sustainability and inclusion.
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Artificial Intelligence - advancement of an AI Strategy to help New Zealand leverage the economic opportunities of AI in a trustworthy way.
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Government Procurement - accessing procurement opportunities that contribute to the growth of export-capable businesses and local skills and expertise.
What's next
The ITP is described as a "living document" which MBIE will refresh periodically to communicate the latest developments in relation to the ITP and its Focus Areas.
The 2023 Budget, which is being released on 18 May, is expected to clarify the Government's allocated spend on the Focus Areas and workstreams under the ITP. The Russell McVeagh team will be monitoring the developments and will provide an update when the 2023 Budget is released.
The full text of the ITP can be accessed here