6. DIANNE YATES (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Trade
What reports, if any, has he received on New Zealand’s presence at the CeBIT information technology exhibition in Germany?
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Trade) Link to this
I have seen two reports. The first, in the Australian Financial Review, states that the Australian exhibition was “overshadowed by the imposing presence of New Zealand’s Government-backed contingent”. The second, in the , reported the strongly positive views of the New Zealand firms, which said they had “scored good leads among potential partners, customers, and distributors.” This was an excellent Government initiative, well-organised by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
What is the importance of New Zealand’s presence at the fair, why did the Government provide financial backing for it, and what are the benefits?
CeBIT is the world’s largest information technology fair. It provided the opportunity for New Zealand, which has a reputation in Germany and Europe as being a very competitive and effective producer of agriculture, to successfully raise its profile also as a high-tech country that is innovative and has world-class capability. The Government assistance facilitated the presence of our generally small information and communications technology firms, which were able to get to know the international market, showcase their technology, network, and do business—and some of those firms have entered into multimillion dollar contracts.