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New Zealand riding the dullard-wave

Almost exactly a decade ago, New Zealand was preparing to ride the crest of a "knowledge wave" that, we were told, would propel us up the OECD rankings in so many categories.

For too long, we were told, this country has ridden on the sheep's back. It was now time to show the world how clever we were and how we could use our brains rather than our pastures to create wealth and generate export earnings.

Conferences were held around the country. Politicians promised to deliver essential infrastructure and other support to help kick-start this knowledge wave that we would surf to prosperity.

What the hell happened?

As I look around, 10 years later, I see barely a ripple on the millpond that is our knowledge economy.

Just this week, Telecom announced that it was about to export even more hi-tech jobs offshore as a cost-cutting measure.

Bright young Kiwis continue to take a taxi straight from their capping ceremony to the nearest airport, tickets to distant shores clasped firmly in their hands.

And those who remain find themselves fighting for a dwindling pool of work in the stagnant sci-tech sector.

What's worse, I hear on the news this morning that analysts believe dairy prices have peaked and will now start to trend downwards.

So how did we do with our much touted knowledge-wave?

Well all that talk didn't make a jot of difference to our OECD rankings. We're still right down there near the bottom of the heap.

That promised infrastructure and support simply never appeared. The Labour government quickly switching to "miser-mode" and claiming that we couldn't afford to spend money on such things because we had to "save for a rainy day".

And now the rainy day is here -- but the money we'd allegedly put aside has gone and we're borrowing a billion dollars a month just to keep the nation ticking over.

Was this failure due to a lack of innovation, expertise and hard-work on the part of our sci-tech community?

Hell no.

We had an incredible opportunity to take the promise offered by a knowledge-economy and turn it into a major source of overseas earnings.

So why have all those much talked-about chances to make NZ a technology hub and use the internet to overcome the tyranny of distance not been capitalised on?

Well I put it down to a lack of courage.

A lack of courage on the part of those politicians who spoke so freely -- promises flowing like water, rhetoric spouting like a fountain. Talk is cheap and easy, action requires effort and guts -- something our politicians have always been short of.

But it's not just the politicians who are to blame.

The investment community also have to carry a good deal of blame for this situation. They've opted to put their money into non-productive investments such as property because they're just too scared to diversify away from bricks and mortar. I guess many are now reaping the fallout from that fraidy-cat attitude.

Most of all however, it is *us* who are to blame. I'm talking about the voters who lapped up all these promises but never called the politicians to account when they failed to follow-up on them. If we allow those in power to get away with blatant con-jobs like that perpetrated through the "knowledge wave" conferences and other hollow promises then we get what we deserve.

However, the big question we ought to be asking ourselves right now is: are we too late to *really* get serious about developing a knowledge-economy.

The answer to this is (fortunately) a resounding "no".

But it's going to be a lot harder than it would have been a decade ago.

There are other countries that did more than just talk about it and they now have a good lead over us. Never the less, if government does get behind a knowledge-based economic initiative and provide real support instead of just rhetoric then we still have a chance to reshape NZ's export-earning economy so as to lessen our dependence on commodities and tourism.

In fact, I believe we have no option but to get very serious about developing a strong set of knowledge-based industries. If we don't then (as I've said in the past), environmental taxes and their affect on our physical exports will cripple this nation's economy.

How many Aardvark readers also believe that it's not too late to get a true KBE going here?

Just what could/should government do to promote a KBE?

If we could get a really positive environment that fostered knowledge-based industry here in NZ, how many ex-pats would return home to take advantage of it. More than were lured back by that lame multi-million dollar government initiative of a couple of years back?

What areas of science and technology would be best positioned to deliver on the promises that a KBE offers?

Any and all ideas gratefully accepted.

And send a copy of this column [no spamming though] (or a permalink to it) to any friends, associates or workmates who might have a view or a solution to restarting those abortive attempts of a decade ago. If we're going to get this ball rolling again, we need as many people pushing as we can get.

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