A group of New Zealand tech company leaders visited Dunedin tech companies as part of an Asia New Zealand Foundation initiative aimed helping tech companies thrive in Asia.
Gareth Morgan Investments innovation director Kristen Lunman, of Wellington, said she was ''really impressed'' with the city's tech sector.
She said that in New Zealand people were often not aware what was going on in other cities, so yesterday's visit to Dunedin tech companies, including Timely, Runaway Play and PocketSmith, was a bit of an eye-opener.
It was particularly impressive what recent graduates in Dunedin were working on, Ms Lunman said.
''The stuff they are working on at some of the start-ups we have been to is senior-level development work.''
She said there had long been a ''big push'' for New Zealand companies to crack Silicon Valley and United States when perhaps they should be looking closer to shore and investigating the Asian market.
''You no longer have to go to the US.''
Co-founder and chief entrepreneur of co-working operator BizDojo, Nick Shewring, of Wellington, was also surprised at what he saw in Dunedin.
''None of them think local, they all think global,'' Mr Shewring said.
Chief executive of Dunedin tech company PocketSmith Jason Leong said yesterday's visit was a good opportunity for the city's companies to build links with fellow tech companies.
It was also an opportunity for people who had success exporting to Asia to share their experiences, Mr Leong said.
New Zealand companies typically focused on English-speaking countries and there was a lack of awareness about the opportunities and challenges associated with exporting to Asia.
Asean Young Business Leaders Initiative project manager Adam McConnochie said the New Zealand tech sector could learn from the food and beverage sector and look to Asia for growth.
''If Kiwi tech companies understand the Thai or Vietnamese tech scene and decide not to work there that's one thing, but at the moment most just don't have this knowledge,'' Mr McConnochie said.
