When you think of groundbreaking innovations and state-of-the-art technology, you’re probably more likely to think Silicon Valley than the Hutt Valley. But while much of the world’s innovation is driven by money and machines, the innovation at the heart of New Zealand is born of our unique culture and values.
Just ask Sir Ray Avery, he’s a living breathing example of true kiwi spirit – and his recent interview with Idealog is a great example of how to better tell our story to the world.
What does it really mean to be kiwi?
New Zealanders are many things, among them relaxed, friendly and open. But what really sets us apart is our fresh, bold way of thinking. We’ve learnt that to truly get ahead, we need to be resourceful, think differently, and come up with new ways of doing things.
That’s the mantra of Sir Ray Avery, the scientist, inventor and entrepreneur who has made New Zealand his home. Sir Ray stumbled across New Zealand by chance, but stayed because he fell in love with our sense of adventure, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking.
Those values are part of what makes us who we are – the New Zealand brand. And they’re behind so many of our global successes. Think Xero, the accounting software company that is taking the world by storm. Or the disposable hypodermic syringe that was invented in Timaru by Colin Murdoch and has touched more people than Google. Or the technology from Weta Workshop that has revolutionized the global film industry.
Telling a stronger New Zealand Story.
Sir Ray Avery also believes that kiwis don’t really understand what makes us the way we are. We just quietly get on with changing the world. And perhaps he has a point. Because New Zealanders aren’t only ingenious, we’re also humble. And while that’s refreshing, it doesn’t mean we need to keep quiet about our strengths and successes.
The values we hold as a nation drive us to innovate and create. And we’re already out there doing that. But if we want to attract more people to our shores and grow opportunities for the New Zealand economy, we need to start sharing more stories about our successes and the inspiring people behind them.
And here’s a great one we should all be telling the world about:
http://idealog.co.nz/innovators/2016/10/vodafone-xone-innovators-series-sir-ray-avery-sir-ray-avery-and-helping-people-through-science