Semper Semper™’s Post

Last week I (Sam) had the pleasure of speaking with Darryn Gray and the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce about my design practice Semper Semper™. I thought I’d take a moment to expand on something we spoke about. It’s time for New Zealand to retire the No.8 wire. I said it. It’s time. Sorry. I’ve been living in Aotearoa New Zealand for four years now. I have the benefit of an outsider’s perspective and some things are astonishingly clear. The country’s economy has been struggling since Covid, interest rates are biting hard, productivity is close to the bottom of the OECD, confidence is down and it’s all being intensified by deep public sector cuts. Consequently brain-drain is becoming a big issue. What really confounds me is that there’s no sign of a plan or a roadmap out of this. So here’s my suggestion; New Zealand needs to form a national vision for its future. A picture of where it’s going and how it’s going to get there. A vision of a prosperous nation is a huge multifaceted thing, with many more factors than I understand. So I want to make a suggestion within a sphere that I do. New Zealand is no longer an isolated outpost. It’s time to engage with the world in a greater way. That’s a path to prosperity. The country’s exports are dominated by dairy, meat, foods and primary industries. These are industries to be proud of. But other areas of the economy need to be promoted and encouraged for the country to increase its productivity and prosperity. Digital industries, design, creativity, science, technology, industrial design and other services – these industries are genuine strengths and should be greatly encouraged to grow and expand out into the wider world. NZ should be exporting its creativity, skills and knowledge far and wide. There are many leading the way; Xero, Sharesies, PikPok, Resn, Weta Digital, Rocket Lab, and FTN Motion to name a few. But more need to follow. I’m impressed by the work that Callaghan Innovation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise do in supporting these organisations. But it all needs to go further and aim higher. And so It’s time to retire the No.8 wire. There needs to a nationwide shift away from a make do / ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to one of quality. These industries mentioned; Digital, design, creativity, science, technology and industrial design etc – they thrive in an environment of quality. In a business culture that embraces and pays for quality, understands its benefits and integrates it deep into every facet of business – companies grow and thrive that can compete and win on the world stage. Encouraging and cultivating a culture of quality boosts New Zealand’s reputation across the board. Until one day, that reputation is so strong that the world comes to you. So for the sake of New Zealand’s future, ‘she’ll be right’ isn’t good enough. It’s time to strive for excellence. https://lnkd.in/ed4Jt8GV

Semper Semper Business Spotlight EP .2 - Sponsored by Darryn Gray Consulting

https://www.youtube.com/

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