Beyond the buzzwords: AI, opportunity, and the human element at NZTech's Wrap 2025

Last night, our Silverstripe Pōneke Wellington office was humming. We were chuffed to host NZTech’s End-of-Year Celebration and wrap up 2025 in style. Amongst fine company, we reflected on the year that’s been and the mahi we’ve done, and we looked ahead to the year to come, and the mahi we want – and need – to do. 

Deep dive and digital future focus 

After some quality networking, drinks and kai—we kicked off the main event.

Our own Natasha Lampard, Silverstripe's Kaiwhakahaere Whakatairanga, got us started with a thoughtful introduction, delivering a message on the human element in tech—a crucial reminder that amidst all the fast-paced change, it’s the people and the purpose that truly matter.

The quick-fire panel: Unpacking 2025 and predicting 2026 

The heart of the evening was the quick-fire panel discussion, unpacking the biggest shifts we saw in 2025 and looking forward to those we expect to see in 2026, and beyond.

We were thrilled to host a stellar lineup of thought leaders, all tackling the big questions about the future of Aotearoa's digital landscape:

• Graeme Muller (CEO, NZTech): Sharing the big-picture outlook and predictions for the year ahead.
• Sigurd Magnusson (CEO, Silverstripe): Weighing in on digital government and open source momentum.
• Prashant Bakshi (Deputy Chief Executive, NZQA): Providing crucial insights into the future of education and skill-building.
• Tui Te Hau (Founder, Bird Island): Offering her unique perspective on innovation and strategy.

The discussion was fast-paced, frank, and full of gold. Key themes centred around the accelerating impact of AI, the importance of digital skills, and the opportunities and challenges facing government technology platforms. Tui encouraged us to embrace Aotearoa’s quirkiness; uniqueness, and our out-of-the-box thinking. It’s exactly that type of innovative thinking that is needed, now more than ever, to tackle the new and evolving challenges we face, she said. The call was made to leave no one behind in the rapidly changing space of AI-centric tech and it was a rally cry that strongly resonated. 

Woven throughout the evening’s kōrero was the emphasis on care, highlighting that innovation and consideration are not mutually exclusive, but instead when combined, have the potential to create far greater impact, for the long-term, and for everyone. 

It was an awesome chance to hear diverse, expert views from the people shaping New Zealand's digital future. We had a cracker of a night! A massive thank you to NZTech for the opportunity to host, and to everyone who came along.

What are your predictions?

Now, we're keen to hear from you: What are your thoughts on the 2025 landscape and your predictions for the new year? Drop your ideas in an email ( hello@silverstripe.com).

If you want to be notified of tech events like this, make sure to sign up and join theNZTech NZTech(opens in new tab) community.