E-Commerce

The ability of Hawke's Bay business to participate profitably in the growing global economy requires deliberate leverage of digital technologies, and a focus by local, regional and national agencies and authorities on advocating for affordable access to current internet technology and capability.

Government policy behind the investment in broadband networks is critically important to New Zealand growth prospects. It will provide New Zealanders with the base infrastructure that will support advanced broadband services, including high-speed, real time connections to the world. Estimates for economic benefits for New Zealand in terms of increased productivity, improved global connectivity and enhanced capacity for innovation are estimated at $2.4 billion to $4.4 billion annually.

Over the next 20 years more than 80 percent of the world will live within global markets, and physical borders will become less relevant. Access to and effective use of the digital environment allows the world marketplace to steadily become a smaller place that businesses can operate in from almost any location.

Accordingly appropriate uptake of and application of Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) is vital for the economic, social and cultural development of Hawke's Bay.

We already have a stable of businesses marketing amazing weightless products and services outside of the region to the world market place.

The challenge now is to build supportive industry cluster activities that;

1. allow our local innovative entrepreneurs to scale and commercialise their ideas and bring them profitably to the market place,
2. grow our weightless economy,
3. educate our existing businesses about the benefits of investing wisely in the ICT for the improved productivity, efficiency and relevancy of their business.

To meet this challenge during 2012 Business Hawkes Bay will;

1. Invest in the capability of their physical premise to showcase local ICT capability
2. Co-ordinate opportunities for local business people to better understand the ICT age and plan for their business ICT investment
3. Co-ordinate clustering activity opportunities for the Hawke's Bay digital industry that encourage more business to business uptake and industry growth
4. Seek out local innovative ideas and enable the commercialision of these opportunities.