The space and advanced aviation industries are entering a new era marked by greater scale, ambition, and international significance, Space Minister Judith Collins said.
“At this summit a year ago I released the New Zealand Space and Advanced Aviation Strategy, which set out our ambition to double the value of the sectors by 2030,” Collins said during this year’s New Zealand Aerospace Summit in Christchurch.
The strategy focuses on five key areas:
- The development of New Zealand’s sovereign space capabilities with a national space mission.
- Establishing a world-class regulatory environment for space and advanced aviation
- Promoting trade and investment
- Building an aerospace-capable workforce
- Accelerating innovation by partnering with international agencies and research institutions, supporting research and commercialisation, and applying aerospace technologies to national challenges
“An economic report released earlier this year shows space sector revenues increased 53 percent to $2.68 billion in the five years to 2024, and the advanced aviation sector, which overlaps with the space sector, had a total estimated revenue of $530 million in 2024,” Collins said.
“Our space and advanced aviation sectors are more than just rockets, drones and satellites. They’re about advanced manufacturing, AI and autonomy, earth monitoring and next-generation mobility.
“The sectors are also about building a high-tech economy that delivers high-value jobs and solutions to global challenges.
“We are on track to establish a world-leading regulatory environment for the sectors. By the end of this year, we will have put in place a regulatory sandbox where tests can be carried out freely and safely.
Collins expressed confidence that New Zealand’s advanced aviation regulatory framework will draw increased interest from international players eager to benefit from a safe, responsive, and well-regulated environment.
“In July we passed new legislation to deter foreign interference and protect New Zealand’s national interests and national security through a new regulatory regime for operators of ground-based space infrastructure,” she said.
“In terms of a national space mission, our first objective is to develop our sovereign space capabilities, and I expect I will have more to say about this by the end of the year.”