There are increasing opportunities in New Zealand but we need to accelerate this.

We really need to take hold of the opportunities for New Zealand as a nation with aerospace and get behind it – that’s across private investment, Government investment, education – from every perspective

Last week I spoke with George Li who is a Chinese Kiwi who – space hadn’t come onto his radar while he was in New Zealand.

He went off and studied in the US and then he had an opportunity at a US university to get involved in CubeSats [miniaturized satellites for space research] – now he’s working for NASA JPL [Jet Propulsion Laboratory].

A young chap making a difference. We need those people to be here in New Zealand and we need to be really waving the flag for space.

We need to gear up and be really set 10 – 20 years into the future.

We need to make New Zealand a place where these things will happen on an increasing basis where those coming through the education system are geared up and are going to be employed here in New Zealand.