Front Footing Transformative Technology (strategic priority linked to Ministry for Culture and Heritage work programme)
New Zealanders want access to the best of what the world has to offer and high- quality New Zealand content which shines through in a crowded, borderless global environment. Changing technology continues to impact on traditional business models and to provide new opportunities for all cultural agencies. The means of production and distribution of cultural goods and services are increasingly available at low cost to almost everyone. Through the development of digital skills, online rights policies, trans-media, new mobile applications and other innovative business solutions New Zealand creative talent and organisations are positioning themselves to control and manage their endeavours to reach a wider audience. The Ministry is working to support an environment where skills, infrastructure and property rights support innovation and creation.
By 2018 the Ministry intends New Zealand's creative practitioners and organisations to have mastered skills and capabilities to front-foot technological innovation. There will be greater scope to select and manage production, distribution and access, and New Zealand will be recognised as a leader in enabling ease of access to, and re-use of, creative content.
The priority has been incorporated as a theme in the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's work programme and those of our relevant agencies. The Ministry has a number of initiatives that relate to the shared outcome of front footing transformative technologies. These include:
- convergence: providing consistent, platform-neutral treatment that protects copyright, promotes creation and improves access to cultural goods and services
- supporting funded agencies: working with cultural agencies to support the innovative and cost-effective use of digital technologies to create work and engage with audiences
- access to government-funded material: working in partnership with other agencies to improve public access to Crown-funded and owned material
- online cultural content: investment in digital content including Te Ara and NZHistory.net to provide authoritative cultural content for New Zealanders
- sector skills development: assistance to creative industries to increase competitiveness and productivity, raise the value of exports and create jobs for New Zealanders
- identifying barriers and opportunities: undertaking a study of the creative sector to identify barriers and opportunities to maximise creative sector productivity, including aspects of copyright.
- choices available to consumers in provision of cultural content
- hours of New Zealand screen content funded by NZ On Air.
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