As business people you appreciate the changes that are taking place in process and systems before many others in the community. It appears that New Zealand business people are seeing the potential of these changes and investing in the new technologies ahead of our Australian cousins. 68 per cent of our businesses are using the Internet for business purposes, compared with 57 per cent of Australian businesses. Everything I see and hear about the performance of New Zealand business in this fast developing area of electronic commerce tells me that we are ideally positioned to exploit the wealth of opportunities being offered. Let's reflect for a moment on the concept of innovation.
Innovation is about creativity.
The chair of this Summit, Gil Simpson, is known for his view that computer software design is as much an art as a science. I agree that much of what we call information technology is truly creative, and often it is art. Now, web design, graphics, architecture, fashion design, and music are all crossing those boundaries between science, technology and the arts. I launched an art exhibition of the best works by Intermediate School students from throughout Auckland. I said to the students, their parents, and their teachers that creative and innovative New Zealanders would guide our country in the 21st century.