New Zealand: Budget 2016: The data behind the science and innovation investments Economic Development

Minister Steven Joyce explains the backdrop for allotting $761.4 million towards “Innovative New Zealand”.

Divina Paredes (CIO New Zealand)27 May, 2016 

Resumen: El ministro de Desarrollo Económico  de Nueva Zelanda Steven Joyce señaló que el presupuesto de 2016 contiene la «inversión más grande realizada a la ciencia y la innovación en mucho tiempo». Un paquete de $ 761,4 millones, está orientado hacia el proyecto «Innovador Nueva Zelanda», el cual se centra en el crecimiento del sistema de ciencia, la producción de las habilidades del siglo 21 que Nueva Zelanda necesita, y el fomento de la inversión en innovación y la industria en la región de Nueva Zelanda, dijo Joyce en el foro anual de Grant Thornton. Dicha inversión se desglosa de la siguiente manera: $ 410,5 millones para la ciencia y la innovación, teniendo la inversión anual de la ciencia del Gobierno a US $ 1,6 millones en 2020, $ 256.5 millones para programas de educación terciaria y de aprendizaje más, sobre todo en las áreas de la ciencia, la ingeniería y la agricultura y $ El 94,4 millones para apoyar el desarrollo económico regional con iniciativas para desbloquear las oportunidades de negocio y beneficiar a las comunidades regionales.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says the Budget 2016 contains the “single biggest investment in science and innovation in a long time”.

A package of $761.4 million is geared towards an “Innovative New Zealand”.

Innovative New Zealand focuses on growing our science system, producing the 21st century skills New Zealand needs, and encouraging innovation and industry investment in regional New Zealand, says Joyce at the annual Grant Thornton post-Budget forum.

The investment is broken down into:

• $410.5 million for science and innovation, taking the Government’s annual science investment to $1.6 billion by 2020.
• $256.5 million for more tertiary education and apprenticeship programmes, particularly in the areas of science, engineering and agriculture.
• $94.4 million to support regional economic development with initiatives to unlock business opportunities and benefit regional communities.

«We have been making very good progress as a country since the Global Financial Crisis. We have been the world’s seventh fastest growing developed economy over the past five years,” says Joyce.

“We have seen over 200,000 jobs created in the last three years, record numbers of highly-skilled graduates, and major growth in new and emerging hi-tech sectors like the software services sector.

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“Now we need to continue that momentum. This package of initiatives will build on the progress we are making and strengthen the diversification that is occurring across the New Zealand economy.”

He notes while there has been a decline in dairy exports in the previous year, overall exports are up by $2 billion, from $67 billion to $69 billion.

“Diversification is happening in front of our eyes,» he says, referring to the continuous growth of industries like tourism, international education, food export (beef and wine) and ICT software as a service.

His speech also touched on the social investment side of the budget, explaining the approach of “throwing money into the problem” where investment has significant impact.

He explains how this “cross sector approach” using data is applied in education.

Rather than funding schools by decile, the government is matching data from the Ministry of Social Development with the Department of Education and paying according to the number of kids they have that come from benefit dependent households.

There are 100,000 children in the target group who are spending significant time in a benefit dependent household. There will be increased focus on these students most at risk and their outcomes, he states.

The same data driven approach is applied to other areas of public services. For instance, $200 million are allotted for reform of services for vulnerable children and young people; and $50 million will be used to reduce barriers to employment including for people with complex health conditions.

Tomado de: http://www.cio.co.nz/article/600624/budget-2016-data-behind-science-innovation-investments/