Information technology

Big business, competing globally

New Zealand's tech sector is diverse and advanced.

It's a breeding ground for innovation and competes successfully on the world stage.

The industry accounts for 8% of our GDP and employing 5% of the workforce.

It’s a very outwardly oriented industry that competes successfully around the world.

In 2021 our tech sector exported $8.6b globally, making it the country’s second-largest export sector.

IT jobs: Eagle Technology

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Scott Campbell, Eagle Technology: Eagle Technology has been around for over forty years now. We got very interested in the area of technology called GIS or geo spacial information systems. And that's the area I work in and it's been the biggest growth areas for us in the last 20-30 years. So Eagle Technology has around a hundred employees. Roughly about half of our GIS staff are from overseas.

IT in New Zealand is strong at the moment. There are a lot more jobs on offer than there are CVs available. And that's a reflection of the fact that the industry's still growing and we're seeing the GIS area growing especially quickly. I think a lot of our overseas staff have moved to New Zealand primarily for an improved lifestyle. We're based here in Wellington and as capitals go, it's quite a good one to live in.

It's very walkable. I think that's something that appeals to people. People have come from bigger cities and have been used to commuting large distances to their workplace. In Wellington especially that's no longer an issue. Alongside that, there are opportunities professionally to develop as well.

With the small organizations here, there's more room for maneuvering perhaps and more room for advancement as well. So in the field of GIS, one of the more interesting areas of application is using three-dimensional data to visualize and plan how a city, or a building, or an entire country will look in the future and we're doing a lot of work in that area as a result of the rebuild of Christchurch.

One of the growth areas for us in New Zealand is the use of LIDAR data which is light detection and ranging. And our partner in New Zealand is Terralink. That's a really efficient way of capturing a whole bunch of data post-earthquake or just with a new development in turn. I think there's a fair amount of innovation takes place in New Zealand organizations.

Partly that's due to necessity, being a small country and small organizations. People have to turn their hand at things that perhaps otherwise they wouldn't. One of the main reasons that we look overseas for our staff is for the combination of experience with the tools and also maybe a different approach to solving problems.

So we see overseas workers coming to New Zealand both with work visas and also with permanent residency status. The latter from our point of view is really interesting because it indicates from our point of view that the person is making a considerate choice to move to New Zealand for the longer term.

So if I had a tip for someone who's coming overseas to New Zealand, it would be to do as much research about the country and the environment as they can. So housing in New Zealand is probably different than housing you're used to in your own country, and so having a chance to look at and that speak to people who've come from your country to here would be invaluable in terms of choosing what's going to be suitable for you and for your family.

Come and have a look around and see which part of New Zealand is best suited for your choice. 

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New Zealand's ICT companies have earned an international reputation for being flexible, resilient, adaptable and entrepreneurial.

Many high-profile projects have come out of our ICT industry.

• The world's most advanced, safest wireless charging system comes from PowerbyProxi, an offshoot of Auckland University. The business is now part-funded by Korean giant Samsung and in 2014 signed a licensing deal with US Fortune 500 company Texas Instruments (TI).
• A robotic exoskeleton that allows paralysed people to stand and walk, developed by New Zealand's Rex Bionics, is used in rehab clinics and research hospitals in the US, Europe and Asia. 
• Accounting software developed by cloud accounting business Xero helped the company top Forbes' list of 'Most Innovative Growth Companies' in 2014. 
• A security solution from Gallagher was named 'Best Perimeter Protection Product/System' in the US Government Security News 'Homeland Security Awards' in 2014.
• Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, shot at 48 frames per second has pioneered HFR (High Frame Rate) film production. 

Several global industry leaders have chosen New Zealand as a base for their ICT operations, including the global IT services provider Fujitsu.

IT people needed

New Zealand’s tech sector is made up of over 20,000 firms, most of them small businesses.

Combined they employ over 114,000 people. According to a recent industry study, employers anticipate they will need 4-5,000 new digital technology professionals per year into the near future.

Employers have increasingly relied on attracting people from overseas to access the digital skills they need. For example, 3,683 immigrants were granted visas for IT occupations in 2019, accounting for over 80% of new digital technology jobs created. In the years 2014-19, 27,057 visas were granted for people entering New Zealand to work in ICT occupations.

The relative shortage of digital skills means that these roles continue to be some of New Zealand’s highest paid jobs. In addition, ICT employees receive generally excellent benefits with most receiving bonuses and having the option to work remotely and flexibly.

“We've spent the last few years hiring experienced specialists from around the world and 90% of our employees are on temporary visas (working towards residency). We did this because we couldn't find the skilled people we needed in New Zealand, and would like to continue offering exceptional people the chance to move to New Zealand."

Respondent to 2020 Digital Skills Survey:
Head of HR, New Zealand software company

Skill shortage 

A recent industry survey suggested the highest demand will be for software developers, followed by data analytics and cybersecurity skills.

The shift from traditional on-premise computing to cloud-based computing
is driving demand for skills related to cloud-native environments such as Azure and AWS, both of which are also in strong demand.

In terms of location, just over half of New Zealand’s tech sector jobs are in Auckland, 14% each in Wellington and Canterbury/Christchurch with the remainder (nearly 24,000 workers) spread throughout regional New Zealand.

Is your profession on the green list?

A lot of IT roles are currently on INZ's fast-tracked Residency Green list

The Green List | Immigration New Zealand

Qualification checking

You may need to have your qualifications assessed to get a job and visa.

Check with the IT industry body, or find more details on the Immigration New Zealand website

Immigrating to New Zealand | IT Professionals New Zealand

Occupational registration | Immigration New Zealand