Insights from Asia + AI deadline this week

17 November 2025

I’ve just returned from a week in Taiwan and Singapore. The world turned up for the Singapore FinTech Festival, with 600+ exhibitors and 65,000 attendees from 136 countries. Fintech is the fastest-growing tech sector globally and one of New Zealand's too, but where was New Zealand?

BioTechNZ Awards 2026 - Nominations now open!

12 November 2025

The BioTechNZ Awards recognise the exceptional individuals and breakthrough technologies that are driving our industry forward and making a real difference to Aotearoa.

Celebrating growth, connections & what's next

11 November 2025

November already! This is our penultimate newsletter before we break for Christmas. Personally, I am stunned that it’s November. Never has a year been so fast, so long, and such a rollercoaster.

Success on the global stage

11 November 2025

It's the last sprint before a well-deserved break. BioTechNZ has had another great month, where I attended pivotal events in the biotech and life sciences calendar: Medicines New Zealand Annual Conference, Bridgewest Impactful Innovation Conference 2025, and AusBiotech 2025.

AI and the New Boundaries of Technical Work

10 November 2025

How AI is reshaping what it means to be hands-on and why that might open new doors in software engineering.

Advancing New Zealand tech inTaiwan and Singapore

10 November 2025

This week, I’m flying the flag for New Zealand’s tech sector in Taiwan and Singapore. This morning I joined Michelle McCarthy and the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) team in Taiwan helping to develop a growth plan for Kiwi tech in Taiwan.

Kiwi Access Card goes digital in new Hospitality New Zealand and NEC partnership

10 November 2025

The iconic Kiwi Access Card (formerly 18+ Card) is going digital. Hospitality New Zealand has partnered with NEC New Zealand, a leader in biometrics and digital identity, to deliver a secure new way for people to prove who they are – straight from their smartphone.

Mahi Tahi: It takes a village to build an open, safe digital future

06 November 2025

As we approach the business end of the year, the hard mahi is ramping up more than anything. The strength of the fabric of our DINZ community can be seen right across the ecosystem from the Reference Architecture working groups expertly facilitated by Christopher Goh, to the heavy lifting being undertaken by so many government and industry practitioners.

Applications Now Open for the NZIAT AI Research Platform

04 November 2025

Applications are now open for the NZIAT Artificial Intelligence Research Platform — a landmark Government investment of up to $70 million over seven years to accelerate world-class AI research and commercialisation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Celebrating winners, KiwiSaaS relaunch + AI opportunities & our cyber future

03 November 2025

Kia ora koutou, It was a privilege to attend last week’s Best Places to Work Awards as a judge and sponsor of the Innovation & Technology category. This event is always a … Continue reading "New Zealand ranked top for ‘ease of doing business’"

Resonate Insurance Innovation Summit 2025

30 October 2025

On 23rd October, the Resonate Insurance Innovation Summit brought together over 300 insurers, insurtechs and innovators on Auckland’s North Shore.

$70m AI funding opens Thursday!

20 October 2025

Kia ora, On Thursday, applications open for the NZIAT Artificial Intelligence Research Platform (and close on 20 November). The platform is a Government investment of up to $70 million over … Continue reading "New Zealand ranked top for ‘ease of doing business’"

NZ ed-tech company Kami buys UK-based Book Creator to grow international reach

20 October 2025

New Zealand-based interactive education technology platform Kami expects its products will reach 70 million teachers and students - an increase of 20 million - with the purchase of UK-based Book Creator for an undisclosed price.

The next generation isn’t waiting. They’re already building with AI

20 October 2025

For educators and edtech developers, this is an exciting opportunity. How might we better support this maker mindset? What if our tools and systems were designed not just for delivering content, but for nurturing capability?

EdTech in the Spotlight: Skill5 – AI-Powered Training That's Fast, Tailored, and Culturally Relevant

20 October 2025

In this edition of EdTech in the Spotlight, we're excited to feature Skill5 – an innovative AI-powered training platform that is revolutionising how companies approach corporate learning and development. With a growing presence across New Zealand, Australia, and Latin America, Skill5 is helping organisations move beyond outdated, generic training to create fast, on-brand learning experiences that truly engage their teams.

Ada Lovelace

14 October 2025

Each year, on the second Tuesday of October, we celebrate Ada Lovelace Day. Ada Lovelace is renowned as a pioneer in STEM and recognised as being the original computer programmer. But who is Ada Lovelace, what is her story and why do we celebrate her?

Get Ready: Major New AI Research Investment Launching Soon

13 October 2025

New Zealand is about to take a major step forward in AI. In September, Minister Dr Shane Reti announced the launch of the NZIAT Artificial Intelligence Research Platform – a Government investment of up to $70 million over seven years to support world-class AI research in Aotearoa.

Major new AI investment opportunity!

13 October 2025

Kia ora, Last month Minister Dr Shane Reti announced the launch of the NZIAT Artificial Intelligence Research Platform – a Government investment of up to $70 million over seven years … Continue reading "New Zealand ranked top for ‘ease of doing business’"

DINZ Executive Council Elections & Annual Meeting 2025

13 October 2025

Inspiring trust solutions that protect, empower, and help our people thrive At Digital Identity NZ (DINZ), we bring our stakeholders together to build confidence, connection, and opportunity. By bridging trust … Continue reading "New Zealand ranked top for ‘ease of doing business’"

Honouring Mitchell Pham's leadership + Ada Lovelace Day invite

06 October 2025

Today, as his Board term comes to an end, I would personally like to acknowledge and thank Mitchell Pham for his outstanding service to NZTech.

What's in store for BioTechNZ 2026?

03 October 2025

As we look ahead to 2026, you have all voted for our new members to the Executive Council. I would like to welcome our new members: Josh Starkey (BNZ), Kylie Price (Malaghan Institute of Medical Research), and re-elected members Craig Houston (ANZCO), Manya Saberwel (Cytiva), and Elliot Dunn (Brandon Capital).

FinTechNZ September Update: AGM, Tokenisation Roundtable, Hui News & SFF Wrap

01 October 2025

It’s been another big month across the fintech community, and October will be no different.

NZ’s crypto moment: Working group launch, Token2049, and FMA tokenisation response

01 October 2025

Another big month following the success of CryptoWinter25. In September, we saw strong member thought leadership, progress on the Digital Asset Working Group (read on for an exciting announcement about that), and I represented BlockchainNZ at key events in Sydney, Auckland, and on the global stage.

Inspiring Trust across Aotearoa NZ Inc.

01 October 2025

The energetic Digital Trust Hui Taumata at Te Papa lit a fire under NZ Inc’s digital identity movement. Industry leaders, policymakers, iwi kaitiaki, and innovators gathered to collectively declare that solving for trust is mission critical to New Zealand’s digital future.

Digital Identity NZ - Major initiatives for 2025-26:

30 September 2025

There is increasing consensus that an effective, use case and benefits focused communication framework is crucial to market adoption. Working groups will build momentum around demand-side adoption and a trusted … Continue reading "New Zealand ranked top for ‘ease of doing business’"

Techweek is back for 2026!

30 September 2025

Next year, we celebrate something remarkable — a decade of Techweek. Since its beginnings, Techweek has grown into a nationwide festival of ideas, innovation and impact, showcasing how Kiwi technology shapes a better future for Aotearoa and beyond.

NZ’s $70m AI platform: accelerating research to market

22 September 2025

What an incredible week for our AI Forum NZ community. The energy at the Aotearoa AI Summit was inspiring, with leaders from industry, government, research, and the wider community coming together to shape our future with AI. The kōrero was forward-looking, the insights were practical, and the message was clear — Aotearoa New Zealand is shifting from ambition to action.

How are NZ data centres leading the world in energy efficiency?

18 September 2025

As the world becomes more digital, demand for fast, secure, and sustainable data services is booming. Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, our data centres are not only keeping pace , they’re setting a global standard for energy efficiency and driving fresh investment in renewable energy.

AI Forum Executive Council Elections & Annual Meeting 2025

17 September 2025

Our Executive Council is committed to building on our success, setting the strategic direction of the AI Forum and providing Board oversight for its activities. This is your opportunity to join.

Why do data centres matter?

17 September 2025

In our increasingly digital world, data centres have become the unsung heroes powering everyday life in Aotearoa New Zealand. But what exactly is a data centre, and why should we … Continue reading "New Zealand ranked top for ‘ease of doing business’"

Industry News

New Zealand ranked top for 'ease of doing business'

In the World Bank's latest ranking index, New Zealand has overtaken Singapore to reach number one in the world for 'ease of doing business'. This is fantastic news, not just for kiwis but also for everyone who wants to do business in, or with our small nation. Being number one is excellent and u

December 18, 2016

NZTech News

Tech Sector and GCIO Team commit to work together for a better NZ

At the December 2016 meeting between the leading tech sector representative groups; NZTech, NZRise, ITP and the team from the Department of Internal Affairs GCIO office, the focus was on how to make 2017 a year with a more purposeful interaction. The tech bodies have been meeting with GCIO regularl

December 11, 2016

#Government

Industry News

Sustaining and accelerating Canterbury tech sector growth

In the Canterbury region, 2016 has seen another successful year of growth in the highly-diverse and super-vibrant tech sector and is expected to continue next year. As New Zealand's second largest innovation hub, the region is already generating $2.5 billion of tech revenue, an impressive $700 mil

December 11, 2016

Industry News

Do's and don'ts of the NZ Hi-Tech Awards!

The NZ Hi-Tech Awards are in their 22nd year, recognising the best kiwi ICT, electronics, software, biotech, agritech and digital media. Winning the sought after accolade can take your business to the next level and the 2017 awards programme starts now. Before you enter, know what annoys the jud

December 11, 2016

Events, Industry News

Techweek to be biggest ever tech event in NZ

Techweek’17, May 6 to 14 next year, will be the biggest week New Zealand has ever seen or experienced in technology. Techweek will help the push by NZTech for New Zealand become a digital nation and to demonstrate our tech pedigree to the world. More than 100 events will take place all over the

December 11, 2016

Newsletters

NZTech Update - Future leaders, Canterbury growth and how to win in 2017

Hi Readers Last week, in Wellington, we attended NZTech’s end of year drinks and celebrated the launch of FLINT (Future Leaders in Technology). These young people were inspiring, energetic, keen to network and will ultimately be future leaders of New Zealand’s technology sector. I was impressed

December 11, 2016

Newsletters

NZTech Update - Al, global impact and cybersecurity skills shortage

Hi Readers Recently, I attended the IBM World of Watson Conference in Las Vegas. I was there to assess advances in cognitive computing (AI) and determine how we can better integrate such modernized technology into the New Zealand ecosystem. What struck me most revolved around the use of cognitive c

December 4, 2016

Media Releases, NZTech News

IBM MD steps down from NZTech board

Rob Lee, managing director of IBM New Zealand, has stepped down from the NZTech board after six years’ service. Lee chaired the governance committee and was responsible for leading the board on a journey of constant improvement including the development and actioning of an excellent diversity pol

November 27, 2016

Newsletters

NZTech Update - Celebrating tech and innovation in 2017

Hi Readers Next May, with the support of numerous passionate people from a variety of tech communities, government agencies and cities throughout New Zealand, NZTech will deliver Techweek'17. Techweek is a week-long celebration of tech and innovation. It is a national festival of hundreds of indepe

November 27, 2016