AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) — The “High 5” New Zealand International Health Industry Investment Summit 2025 was recently held in Auckland on Friday.
Themed as “Back to Nature”, the summit was co-hosted by the NEXT Federation and Bank of New Zealand, with China Silk Road Development Capital Management Limited serving as the chief partner. Policy experts, researchers, leaders of industry associations, and business representatives from New Zealand, China and Indonesia attended the event.
In his keynote speech, Professor Stefan Bohlander of the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the University of Auckland emphasised that the development of the health industry should draw inspiration from the laws of nature and the essence of life. He noted that breakthroughs in cancer research, especially leukemia, demonstrate that scientific innovation depends on interdisciplinary collaboration and international cooperation. He said China–New Zealand scientific cooperation has a solid foundation, with strong complementarities in medical research, clinical resources, and innovation ecosystems, and should be further strengthened.
Māori health expert Tamiaho Searancke explained the connection between health, land, community, and spirituality from a Māori cultural perspective. Reviewing the history of Māori migration, he pointed out that “Back to Nature” is not only an industry concept but also a cultural foundation for promoting overall societal well-being.
Dr. Lifeng Zhou, Chief Advisor for Asian Health and International Cooperation at Health New Zealand, noted that ageing demographics are creating challenges in New Zealand such as strained medical resources and the outflow of professional talent. He highlighted the importance of addressing the cultural needs of Asian elders, such as language, diet, and traditional medicine, to promote a more inclusive and diverse health service system.
Tony Browne, Chairman of the NEXT Federation, said in his speech that the health industry spans multiple sectors including food safety, public health, medical technology, and nutritional consumption, and plays an important role in driving economic growth and social welfare. He stated that New Zealand and China have strong complementarities in industrial structure, innovative technologies, and market demand, and should use the summit as an opportunity to pursue higher-quality cooperation in technology transfer, capital cooperation, and talent exchange.
During the summit, NEXT Park and the NZ China Commerce & Inno Hubs were officially launched. These initiatives will focus on health foods, biomedicine, agricultural technology, digital technology, and green energy.
The summit also featured six thematic roundtable discussions covering technology investment, health foods, traditional medicine, solar energy, aged care and wellness, and industrial chain cooperation. Representatives from research institutes, businesses and investment organizations conducted discussions on industry trends, business models, technological innovation, and cross-border collaboration across these sectors.
