I have these big ideas as to how we can transform New Zealand and make it a country full of innovation where the future is warmly embraced by all generations. These ideas are all linked, and they leverage off of one another. I am passionate about these ideas and align all my work to them to help others make this possible future a reality.
#1 Innovation happens here
I have these big ideas as to how we can transform New Zealand and make it a country full of innovation where the future is warmly embraced by all generations. These ideas are all linked, and they leverage off of one another. I am passionate about these ideas and align all my work to them to help others make this possible future a reality.
#1 Innovation happens here
Previous waves of disruptive revolutionary innovation are increasingly no longer tied to any particular geography. Silicon Valley doesn't have the monopoly on computer or internet technology. It is being built everywhere! (Although at the moment it's still a numbers game and there is more going on in places like San Francisco)
Our history proves we know how to innovate and we are growing up as an industry to be able to commercialise and take our innovations to any market. The SaaS and online software revolution was the latest example of how we can not only innovate but go global.
But the next wave of disruptive technology will be automation and AI.
When around the world robots and artificial intelligence can take all the repetitive tasks in the job market, what is left?
Creativity, idea generation, design and innovation. The next economy will be an IP economy. The workforces that can take an idea and perfect it will build the strongest economies.
Manufacturing will be done anywhere without relying on sweat labour, closest to where the customer is. Software will be distributed globally from global networks of data-centres. Development will be done by distributed teams. Capital will be looking all around the world to invest in the smartest teams. The most valuable companies will be those that can take an idea through R&D through manufacturing and distribution to markets quickly and agilely.
So, New Zealand can take advantage of the next waves of innovation and a massive disruption to the global workforce by being the place where we take ideas to market the quickest and the best.
#2 The next generation are innovators
#2 The next generation are innovators
Our future is massively dependant on our 10 year olds today and their ability to adapt with technology. I truly believe this and is why I started the charity OMGTech! back in 2015, so we could start inspiring girls and boys from all backgrounds to take apart devices and technology, learn how it all works and to innovate with it. Robots, drones, AR, VR, 3D printing and design. Whatever the next wave of tech is. Why? Because in another 10 years they will be living and working in a world driven by technology and will need some new skills, even if we haven’t quite figured out all the applications of it all just yet.
It’s not just teaching them to write code. That’s important like algebra is. It’s a great skill to have but it’s not the only answer. We need to teach kids how the technology around them works.
We need to change how we educate, both our 8 year-olds and adults wanting to retrain. We should all have a personalised learning journey. The old model of catering to the middle of the bell curve doesn’t work anymore. Our tamariki should dream of being our next rocket scientists and have the tools to get there.
#3 Tell our stories
#3 Tell our stories
We are a smart people and we excel at all we apply ourselves to, everything except self promotion.
We have many stories and unknown heroes heads down getting stuff done.
We should be telling our amazing stories as we go to prove to us and the world that New Zealand is the innovation centre for the world. The more stories we tell the more we believe it and the more we believe it the more we do it and the rest of the world takes notice.
What if daily we tell stories of our pioneers of innovation, the girl in the garage or the global company based in New Zealand? Of how we send rockets to Mars and cure diseases. We change our national psyche to believe we can do it, we can change the world, or even better, notice that we have been doing it since Ernie split the atom.
#4 Align industry to innovate
#4 Align industry to innovate
Aligning industry to solve the right problems we all want solved. There are plenty of disruption challenges ahead and we can wait and react or we can use these changes to be also our greatest opportunities. Energy, food, water, democracy, education, health. What if we lead the world innovating in these areas.
Our industries are all lined up to solve big problems with innovation. We send stuff into space, we have clean energy innovation, lead in education, we have the best IP for synthetic food production and we are opening democracy using technology. We are solving the best problems the rest of the world cares deeply about. We can create new jobs for the next generations to pioneer even more innovation.