AMA convened the 3rd Minister's Manufacturing Productivity Advisory Group (MPAG) meeting for 2025 - special thanks to NZTE for hosting. 

 

The MPAG plays a critical role in shaping the strategic direction for NZ's manufacturing sector, ensuring that industry and government work together to accelerate productivity and growth.

 

MPAG Chair, Sarah Ramsay's, opening remarks reflected on how the early meetings revealed a clear gap between how government perceived the manufacturing sector and the realities faced by industry. While innovation was expected to dominate the discussion, the strongest themes were people, talent, and outdated perceptions. Over the past two years, the focus has been on closing that gap — lifting the profile of manufacturing, improving understanding of the sector, and building the right foundations for long-term change. This has included major effort in schools and youth engagement, from launching the Earn as You Learn certificate to rolling out interactive InZone career kiosks, with opportunities for industry to help expand these into more communities.

 

The Chair also highlighted how perception-shifting initiatives — such as the Future Makers campaign, the Manufacturing Awards, and talent-focused workshops — are now contributing to a stronger national narrative about manufacturing. Government recognition has grown, with advanced manufacturing increasingly referenced in ministerial speeches and broader policy conversations. Behind the scenes, advocacy from the group has also helped drive meaningful outcomes, including accelerated depreciation settings, immigration improvements, and the addition of key roles like CNC machinists to the Green List. These may not always make headlines, but they represent important progress toward long-term capability and competitiveness for New Zealand manufacturing.

 

November's MPAG meeting shifted the focus from foundational talent work to the next critical phase: investment and innovation. With two years of perception-building and workforce initiatives now embedded, the group is turning its attention to identifying priority actions that can strengthen New Zealand manufacturing over the longer term. Collective insights captured from previous workshops formed the starting point for shaping a two-year work plan. Confirmation of continued government support — including $650,000 in new funding — provides momentum, but the Chair emphasised that real impact would come from leveraging networks, partnerships, and wider government programmes to amplify that investment.

 

The goal for the session was to identify the stakeholders, opportunities, and practical innovations that can turn this funding into transformational outcomes. While immediate measures like engagement campaigns and uptake of investment incentives matter, the real ambition is long-term impact reflected in future national data. By aligning efforts now and building strong relationships, the group aims to create initiatives that will deliver benefits not just in the next two years, but over the next decade.

The energy and insights shared by participants—representing both industry and government—were invaluable in framing the next steps for the manufacturing strategy. Together, we are building a roadmap that positions manufacturing as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s prosperity.

 

Stay tuned as we translate these ideas into actionable programmes that will drive innovation and investment across Aotearoa New Zealand.