Championing tech in the community

Kia ora,

Last week, we urged Government officials to intervene following our concerns about the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s (OPC) proposed Code of Practice for biometrics.

Following the publication of our open letter, the Privacy Commissioner reassured me that the process is far from over and there will be further opportunities for stakeholders to engage. Given how important biometrics are for privacy, productivity and economic growth for Aotearoa, we look forward to the OPC publishing their next steps and engaging in consultation with experts in biometrics. Read more.

This morning, I attended the launch of the report benchmarking Auckland against peer cities around the world. While Auckland is doing well in some areas like culture and resilience, it is slipping backwards in important areas including sustainability and prosperity. Innovation was one of the most concerning areas, well behind global averages. Global perception about Auckland has also reduced significantly. Why is this important? As Minister Simeon Brown said at the event, “Auckland accounts for 40% of New Zealand’s GDP, what is good for Auckland is good for the entire country.”

Next week, I am looking forward to presenting the 2024 Community Tech Champions Award at the CIO Summit. Congratulations and good luck to the finalists – Christchurch City Council, Tōnui Collab and the New Zealand Centre for Digital Connections with India. The award honours and showcases outstanding initiatives that focus on creating digital equity, diversity, and accessibility to technology and tech careers in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Community Tech Champions’ programmes can include women in tech, Māori and Pasifika in tech, regional or community initiatives, enabling accessibility to technology for those with disabilities, engaging youth (workforce of the future) and lifelong learning. The aim is to ensure the digital capabilities of all New Zealanders are constantly growing and improving.
If you’d like to attend the CIO Summit, access your 15% NZTech member discount with this code: NZTech15.

In other news, election results for the NZTech Board will be announced at our AGM on Thursday. AgriTechNZ’s Executive Council will be announced at their Annual Meeting on Tuesday. Voting for BlockchainNZ closes on Wednesday and BioTechNZ’s nominations close on Thursday.

Ngā mihi
Graeme Muller
CEO, NZTech

---

Read the full news here: Championing tech in the community

---