New Zealand to be promoted as space tech destination

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A rendering if New Zealand seen from space, compiled from NASA images. Space Minister Judith Collins is pitching the value of basing space-related businesses in Aotearoa.
Photo: 123rf.com

A US space industry event is to hear about why space-related businesses should set up shop in New Zealand.

Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins is set to speak at the 39th Space Symposium, in Colorado Springs next week.

New Zealand defence and space agency representatives will also make the trip with her.

The symposium is one of the largest space events in the world, with 10,000 business and government representatives attending, Collins said, which makes it an enormous opportunity to show what New Zealand has to offer, and support and to promote New Zealand trade and companies.

“I’m the first Space Minister – fully Space Minister in the world, and just to be able to put our story out there.

“Because we’re at the bottom of the world there are advantages to that. One of them is we don’t have any near neighbours, so when a rocket’s launching from New Zealand no-one thinks we’re about to declare war.”

Judith Collins
Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

New Zealand is home to the world’s only fully private orbital launch site and conducted the fourth-highest number of launches last year, she said. And it’s a good place for emerging companies to test and trial technology for defence, science and innovation.

“New Zealand is an attractive place for space-related business. I will use this visit to promote our advantages, including geography, clear skies, infrastructure, skills, a nimble regulatory regime and the ease of doing business here.

Rocket Lab runs a launch pad to space from Mahia on the East Coast.
Photo: Supplied / Rocket Lab

“Beyond rocket launches, our researchers and companies are using innovative, disruptive space technologies to tackle some of the planet’s big challenges and to create new and exciting opportunities for economic growth,” she says.

“As well as space, there are real opportunities in other areas of advanced technology and I’m looking forward to hearing about and discussing these with the growing hub of New Zealand tech businesses based in Colorado.”

After the symposium, Collins is to travel to Los Angeles to meet with the mayor of Long Beach to continue promoting New Zealand space prospects. She returns home on 14 April.