11 September 2006

The Canterbury Plains on the East Coast of the South Island are New Zealand’s Silicon Valley.

A new focal point for the region’s and New Zealand’s flourishing IT and electronics industries is the New Zealand Information and Communications Technology Institute – UCi3 – which opened in July at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.

The institute brings together international companies such as IBM and Hewlett Packard, leading local companies, the university and the New Zealand Government to ensure a plentiful supply of quality research graduates for New Zealand’s IT and electronics industries.

The rapid growth of these industries has created a vigorous demand for qualified IT and electronics workers in New Zealand.

“UCi3 aims to be a ‘hothouse’ of IT and electronics research and innovation in New Zealand,” says Professor Peter Jackson, Pro Vice Chancellor at the university’s College of Engineering. “By weaving together the research strengths of the university and the commercial expertise of our industry partners, we intend to accelerate the development and uptake of new technologies and so expand New Zealand’s presence in the worldwide IT and electronics arenas.

“We aim to address the shortage of graduates by providing an attractive environment for students through better access to funding, entrepreneurial skills and engagement with leading companies. In return, companies partnering with UCi3 can access world-class researchers and facilities to assist capability in their R&D and to build relationships with our best graduates.”

Around half of New Zealand’s IT and electronics companies are located in the Canterbury region, including institute partners Jade Software, an IT research and development company, and voice and data radio communications company Tait Electronics.

The institute is based on the MIT Media Lab model and concentrates activities on themes where the university has academic strength such as bio engineering, nanotechnology, human interface technology, wireless and database applications.

Canterbury University has a track record of commercial success in these areas through spin offs, including Syft Technologies whose products can detect minute traces of airborne chemicals and have been bought by agencies such as Australian Customs and Nano Cluster Devices in the US.

The university is also home to HIT Lab New Zealand, a partner of the world-leading HIT Lab US, based at the University of Washington in Seattle. HIT Lab NZ is responsible for the international award winning Magic Book which allows readers of a real book to see virtual content superimposed over the real pages through a hand-held display.

Past graduates of The University of Canterbury include the creator of modern atomic physics Lord Ernest Rutherford and William Pickering, the original “rocket man” and a former director of the world-famous Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

“By bringing together the skills of industry and academics, the institute will be a magnet for talented students considering a career in IT or electronics,” says Investment New Zealand’s Chris Tozer. “And when they graduate they will provide businesses with the quality, knowledgeable staff they need.

“The three-way partnership between industry, the university and Government in the institute again shows the willingness of key players in the New Zealand IT and electronics industries to work together,” he says.

“The institute will leverage off the internationally acclaimed innovation of the industry, world-class research and development activities and the government’s commitment to the information and communications technology sector as a key player in the New Zealand economy.”

The government has identified information and communications technology as a key sector for the New Zealand economy, both as an export powerhouse and a driver of growth of all New Zealand businesses, for example through greater productivity.

The New Zealand Government has invested heavily in the sector, including NZ$9.7 million for the UCi3 which was matched by the institute.

For more information, please contact:

martin.brendling@investmentnz.govt.nz

+64 9 302 5474