Minister a fan of city’s tech sector

The rapidly-growing technology sector in Dunedin excites Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce, especially the companies he has seen develop from start-ups to profit-making enterprises.

During what has become a series of regular visits to Dunedin technology companies and the University of Otago, Mr Joyce told the Otago Daily Times he had noted Education Perfect had become a "serious player" in the education industry since he first visited the company about two and a-half years ago.

Education Perfect, which was launched in 2013 and is used by more than 700 schools internationally, is a spin-off of Language Perfect, which provides language-learning software to secondary school pupils.

Mr Joyce said  companies  such as Kamahi Electronics, Scott Technology and ADInstruments were other examples of firms  that  had grown through the use of technology.

"Any number of tech companies here are growing rapidly and that is the future for Dunedin, to be blunt."

While in Dunedin, Mr Joyce also visited the university, including  a brain research centre and the Dodd-Walls centre which used lasers and physics in its research.

"Dodd-Walls has found a niche working in the hi-tech agricultural sector and they see a big future for themselves in ag-technology. They are very positive in this space."

Technology was a competitive industry in New Zealand as cities competed for new companies to start up and stay, he said.

Dunedin offered technology opportunities with a lifestyle option which it should be pushing — with the added advantage of the University of Otago.

The university leadership team, under vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne, had adopted a new and entrepreneurial approach with more research going on to the market, Mr Joyce said.

Dunedin had strong claims in the scientific and education sectors and was leading much of the country in its development.

Wellington was more oriented towards technology in the government sector.

Asked what Dunedin should and could do to keep growing its technology sector, Mr Joyce said there were some straightforward measures  such as providing hotel accommodation for people arriving in the city to work with the technology companies.

New hotel accommodation had been provided but more was needed.

Strong ties between the city and the university must be maintained.

Many of Dunedin’s companies,  such as Blis Technology and ADI, had started from the university.

"That’s the exciting bit. You start a business here in your own right and in three to four years I see them go from a start-up to profit-makers and employers of staff."

The Otago Chamber of Commerce and the Dunedin City Council needed a strong relationship to encourage businesses to establish themselves in the city and stay.