1. Introduction
Welcome to the first newsletter from the Business Performance Division. Business Performance is a recently re-established division within Statistics New Zealand, set up to study growth and innovation of New Zealand businesses under the general guidance of the Growth and Innovation Framework (GIF).
This newsletter aims to keep stakeholders and users of business statistics up to date with the activities of the Business Performance Division and its development projects / what they are and how they are progressing.
We hope you find this newsletter useful and we welcome your feedback. Please send it to Peter.Meadows@stats.govt.nz or Jacqui.Gebbie@stats.govt.nz.
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2. Business Performance Strategy
The Business Performance Strategy paper was released on 26 March 2004 to inform our stakeholders and the community of the general strategy of measuring growth and innovation in New Zealand. This paper will be available later in April 2004 from the Statistics New Zealand website. A summary is given below.
In October 2003 Statistics New Zealand decided to re-establish the Business Performance Division, in response to the increasing focus by both government and researchers on factors impacting on business performance and in particular those that drive growth and innovation.
The Ministry of Economic Development has set up the Growth and Innovation Framework (GIF). The programme's aim is to increase New Zealand’s economic growth rate above the OECD average, and sustain this higher growth performance over succeeding years. Achieving this goal will require a marked improvement in New Zealand’s economic performance.
The framework indicates that the Government will focus its resources and policies in four key areas:
- enhancing the innovation system
- developing skills and talent
- increasing New Zealand’s global connections
- focusing government resources.
In this last area, the Government focus is on assisting three key sectors:
- biotechnology
- information and communications technology (ICT)
- creative industries.
Funding has been allocated to Statistics New Zealand to provide information in the following areas:
- ICT - supply, demand, household use, ISP
- biotechnology
- screen production
- productivity.
The primary focus of the Business Performance Division is to generate data on the supply and/or demand of various known enablers of business performance (in terms of their impact on growth and productivity). The currently identified enablers of interest are Research and Development, Innovation, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Biotechnology and Business Practices.
The essential first step in establishing an information framework for the statistical component of the GIF has been to develop a more detailed understanding of user needs.
The proposed work plan for the Business Performance Division comes under six main headings:
- integrated business performance collection
- targeted sector-based statistics
- measures of productivity
- production of discrete information from existing data sources
- facilitation of research through integration of existing/future data sources
- improved data management.
For further information contact Eileen.Boyte@stats.govt.nz.
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3. Who's who in Business Performance
Eileen Boyte, Manager
Gareth Meech, ICT project leader
Nairn MacGibbon, Surveys project leader
Peter Meadows, Research coordinator
Hamish Hill, Innovation and business financing project leader
Michael Landman, Biotechnology project leader
Katy Henderson, Productivity
Jacqui Gebbie, Research and communication
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4. Research and communication
Over the next few months the Business Performance Division will look to further develop our understanding of information needs. We would like to hear from organisations with an interest in the work of the division and in business performance statistics. We are also interested to find out about work or research done (or currently being done) in this area.
To provide feedback please contact Peter.Meadows@stats.govt.nz or Jacqui.Gebbie@stats.govt.nz.
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5. Innovation Survey
The Innovation Survey 2003 was commissioned by the Ministry of Research, Science & Technology (MoRST) and was conducted last year. Initial results will be released on 16 April 2004. In the future this survey will be incorporated as a module of an integrated business performance collection being developed by the Business Performance Division.
Other information on innovation and the Innovation Survey 2003 can be found on our website. For further information please contact Hamish.Hill@stats.govt.nz.
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6. Business Financing
Statistics New Zealand has been commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) to develop a new survey on demand side finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This is the first full survey of its type in New Zealand. Now in the final stages of preparation, the survey's next step will be the development of processing systems to deliver the required outputs. The survey goes into the field in August 2004.
For further information please contact Hamish.Hill@stats.govt.nz.
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7. Research and Development Survey
The Research and Development Survey (R&D Survey) has been conducted biennially by Statistics New Zealand for a number of years. The R&D Survey measures the level of research and development activity, employment, and expenditure by private sector enterprises, government departments, government-owned trading entities, and universities. The last survey was conducted in 2002, with results published in 2003.
The R&D Survey is currently being redesigned for the 2003/04 reference year collection (R&D 2004). First results will be released May 2005.
For further information please contact Nairn.MacGibbon@stats.govt.nz.
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8. Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a focus sector for government resources. Consultation with stakeholders has indicated that indicators are required for three aspects of biotechnology in New Zealand:
- biotechnology research and development
- biotechnology processes for the development of new knowledge, products or processes
- spread of biotechnology products and processes throughout the economy.
The Biotechnology Survey is currently scheduled for the 2003/04 reference year. First results from this survey are scheduled to be released April 2005. A more comprehensive redevelopment, planned for the 2005/06 year, will incorporate work currently being undertaken by New Zealand Trade and Enterprises (NZTE) in developing a measurement framework for the Biotechnology sector.
For further information please contact Michael.Landman@stats.govt.nz.
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9. Information and communication technology
The ICT supply-side collection has been conducted annually by Statistics New Zealand for a number of years, and is to be redesigned during 2004/05 to ensure that it is still providing relevant information. It is intended that this collection will continue on an annual cycle, as at present.
Over the next few months, our focus will be to look at future ICT supply and usage information requirements. The timing of the household use of ICT collection has not yet been defined. Ideally it will be developed during 2004/05, with a view to it going into the field during early 2005.
Initial results from the annual 2003 ICT Supply Survey will be published in a HOTP on 20 April 2004.
For further information please contact Gareth.Meech@stats.govt.nz.
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10. Productivity
As noted in the GIF, Benchmark Indicators Report, productivity is a key contributor to income levels. It is therefore important for this project to develop improved measures of productivity to facilitate better economic measurement of growth in the economy. This has resulted in proposals to develop better macro measures of total (multi-factor) productivity.
We are in the early stages of this project and are currently refining the programs used to create an experimental series. One of the first components is a labour volume series which is due for release late November 2004.
For further information please contact Katy.Henderson@stats.govt.nz.
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