Wellington has been recognised as one of 21 Places of the Future which are fuelling the birth of a new economy dubbed the 'fourth industrial revolution'.
The latest Cognizant 21 Places of the Future report outlines where many of the jobs of the new economy will appear. Wellington is included along with 20 other places including the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, Atlanta and Sacramento in the US and Estonia’s capital Tallinn.
Cognizant is a US-based multinational technology company that provides business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services globally.
The '21 Places of the Future' report answers the question of where the previously published '21 Jobs of the Future' will be located.
Vice president of the Cognizant Future of WorkRobert Brown says the report is a map to the future.
"We’ve learned from the success of other places around the world like New York, Sydney and London that are booming and look to these new places to fuel tomorrow’s workforce.
"As we all look to get beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, people will gravitate to the new places we’ve identified that are hotbeds of innovation and ideas and are enjoyable to work and live in."
While acknowledging the region’s seismic activity, Cognizant’s 21 Places of the Future report says, "tectonic shifts in tech, work and place have poised Wellington as a place of the future that’s going to be very, very big".
It recognised Wellington’s visionary screen sector, particularly the Weta Group of Companies, and the city’s "booming start-up scene propelled by an innovative approach to smart cities, grids and green infrastructure".
The report also noted that Wellington "can teach other places readying for the fourth industrial revolution" about having physical space for "smart growth" (in the Hutt Valley), recalibrating immigration by being open to the "world’s unorthodox – and most talented" people and being on the "cutting edge of democratic values".
Wellington was also credited for its early investment in creating a cloud-based Internet of Things-infused model of itself which set the stage for jobs of the future such as 'cyber city analysts' and 'VR journey builders'.
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster believes the report is spot on with its view of Wellington within a global community of cities that share an appetite to create – or recreate – a future by offering humans the work of the future.
"Wellington is a city of consequence with a vibrant inclusive community of networked innovators, designers and a highly skilled workforce."
WellingtonNZ chief executive John Allen says the Wellington region deserves to be recognised by Cognizant.
"It reveals Wellington as a melting pot of tech-savvy thinkers, leaders, law makers and creative talent who have come together to face down challenges, recognise opportunities and shape a bright future for Wellington.
"It’s this social DNA that helps enable the region to flourish and evolve into an even better place to live, work, visit and play."
Wellington’s flourishing craft beer scene and the thriving Martinborough wine region was praised by Cognizant for "providing all the ingredients to foster a hipster’s paradise".
Destination Wairarapa general manager Anna Neilson says the Martinborough wine sector is a terrific example of the enterprise and innovation that exists in the region.
"Once it was a struggling sheep farming community, now it is a thriving wine producing region recognised all over the world.
"It has been the catalyst for many other business and lifestyle opportunities that make Wairarapa a very attractive place to live," she says.
