A showcase of Dunedin companies at the weekend went a long way to giving the rest of the country a better understanding of what was available in the city, Institute of Directors national president Stuart McLauchlan said yesterday.
The institute hosted visitors on Saturday before the rugby test between New Zealand and Australia.
Mr McLauchlan said Dunedin's economic development strategy document was an ''excellent base'' for determining the city's future direction but it was just as vital for business.
''Strong leadership is important to ensure the strategy is effectively executed. The execution is just as important as the strategy itself to ensure the vision for this great city is achieved.''
The reaction to the four companies on show was overwhelming, he said.
Visitors understood a business did not have to be based in Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland to be successful overseas. The city had secure business infrastructure and good staff were available. Locals had heard about the companies but many did not understand how successful they were, Mr McLauchlan said.
''A lot of them just get on with it, but the showcase was an opportunity to explain what they did.''
The presentation also included one from Otago Innovation, which is based at the University of Otago Dunedin campus. The work being carried out at the purpose-built biotechnology centre was well-received.
Mr McLauchlan, who is from Dunedin, said he had been following closely the battle to retain Invermay as a centre of excellence with its current staff levels.
The showcase could be the impetus for the region to get a better understanding of what was available in the region and what was at risk.
''Often, when people hear about the changes, the decisions have been made. If we have a better understanding of what is needed, we can get involved sooner,'' he said.
Showcase companies
ADInstruments: The company is a provider of computer-based data acquisition and analysis systems for life science. From its 11 offices around the world, ADI delivers innovative solutions for applications in academic research and higher education to clients such as Roche Bioscience, Toyota, Shiseido, Mayo Clinic, Human Genome Project, Pfizer and Lockheed Martin.
Oritain Global: Oritain has pioneered commercial food origin systems, fingerprinting the world's food supply to provide certainty of origin and restore trust in food.
Scott Technology: The publicly-listed company designs and manufactures automated production and process machinery, including robotic milking and automated meat processing.
Otago Innovation: Based in New Zealand's first purpose-built centre at the University of Otago's Dunedin campus, Otago Innovation screens technologies and maps their path out to market. The company has concluded a range of licensing and start-up transactions in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Asia and the United States.
