From April 8–10, New Zealand’s Minister of Defence and Minister for Space, Hon Judith Collins, travelled to Colorado to attend the 40th Space Symposium – a premier international forum that brings together government, industry, and academic leaders from across the global space sector.
Minister Collins’ participation was significant, notably being the only non-US politician invited to speak at this year’s event, demonstrating the international recognition of New Zealand’s emerging leadership in space and technology. In 2024, New Zealand became the third most prolific launch nation in the world, underscoring the country’s growing contribution to space exploration, satellite deployment, and commercial launch services.
This year marked a series of milestones for New Zealand’s presence at the Symposium:
- The New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA), part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), hosted a dedicated booth for the first time, showcasing the depth of New Zealand’s innovation and commercial capabilities to a global audience of space sector leaders and stakeholders.
- A major outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between Minister Collins and Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Focused on science, innovation, and technology, this agreement provides a formal framework to strengthen collaboration between New Zealand and Colorado.
The MOC is New Zealand’s second state-level cooperation agreement with the United States, following the 2022 MOC with the State of California focused on climate change. It further reinforces New Zealand’s commitment to engaging with individual US states on issues of shared strategic and economic interest.
The MOC with Colorado reflects an already well-established relationship between New Zealand and the state:
- Over 40 New Zealand companies currently operate in Colorado across sectors including technology, agribusiness, and manufacturing.
- In 2023, New Zealand was the sixth largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Colorado, highlighting the scale and value of Kiwi contributions to the local economy.
These developments align strongly with the NZUS Council’s mission to advance the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and the United States focused on innovation, sustainability, and opportunity.
As New Zealand’s space and technology sectors continue to grow, opportunities for deeper transpacific collaboration will continue to increase and the 40th Space Symposium marks another important step in strengthening those ties.
You can read the full New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade market intelligence report here: ww.mfat.govt.nz/market-