NZ Education Technology Poised To Become Major Industry

The education technology sector is poised to become one of New Zealand’s iconic industries, according to a report released today by EdTechNZ.

Worth $173.6 million in 2020, edtech software is poised to grow to $319.6 million by 2025, the report says.

The covid pandemic has been a driving force behind the digital transformation of learning, permanently changing the way we consume and deliver education, right from pre-school through post-tertiary education and lifelong learning.

This has created opportunities to bring schooling into the digital age, making education more personalised, interesting, effective, and rewarding.

New Zealand has a significant number of young companies pushing the boundaries in many areas.

They include experiential learning, augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence supported learning, assessment, learning management, and specific subjects such as maths, literacy, and languages. Most of these companies are focused on exporting to the world.

The sector faces some challenges however, both at home and abroad, including a constrained domestic market, unhelpful procurement practices, a lack of centralised coordination, fragmented overseas markets, and a tight supply of talent.

The report suggests six key recommendations to overcome these challenges, beginning with the development of a national edtech strategy.

Thirty companies are featured in the report, ranging from well-known names like Education Perfect, LearnCoach, and Wendy Pye through to rising stars like Komodo Wellbeing, Plink Software, and Amy the AI Math Tutor.

Aotearoa has an excellent reputation for education and it may be close to being one of the world’s pre-eminent sources of education technology.

EdTechNZ executive councillor Dave Moskovitz says education is changing more rapidly than it ever has before. Aotearoa has the skills, experience and reputation to make a massive impact for good on the way the world teaches and learns, he says.

“But we are lacking a collective will and commitment. This report shows us what we need to do to make it happen.

“The global prize is ours for the taking. We all need to work together including educators, learners, entrepreneurs and government, to bring Kiwi innovative technology to the world for the benefit of all.”

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