Which is more Kiwi? Sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, or respiratory humidifiers and sleep apnoea breathing masks? One is a $1 billion industry that has been carpeting hillsides in stubby ranks of vines for the past 30 years and successfully lowering the nation's average wage through its employment of unskilled Tongans, Thais and Brazilians.
The other is a single company, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, which exists almost invisibly in a South Auckland factory zone and alone earns New Zealand around half what our wine exports make.
The problem, says Sir Paul Callaghan, Victoria University professor of physics and the 2011 New Zealander of the Year, is Kiwis don't actually know what success looks like. We talk about catching up with Australia, but think that means more mining, dairying or tourism. However, hi-tech is where it is at. It is the only way New Zealand can be rich again, while still having the environment we love.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Secrets to success - the-press | Stuff.co.nz
Author: JOHN MCRONE
