Programme

8.30am

Registration open

Whakatau

Conference welcome

Nick Truebridge – Commerce Commission

Effective competition through innovation and collaboration, and market design
Commerce Commission Chair, Dr John Small, will deliver opening remarks outlining the Commission’s role in safeguarding competition and enabling innovation, and explaining why effective competition matters for New Zealand businesses, consumers and our economy. Dr Small will also introduce the findings of the Commission’s first State of Competition in New Zealand report.

Dr John Small – Commerce Commission

Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs address

Hon Scott Simpson

Morning tea

Findings from OECD New Zealand Economic Survey
David Haugh, OECD Paris, will present the recently-launched 2026 Economic Survey of New Zealand, with a focus on the competitiveness, sustainability, and security of our electricity sector and the performance of capital markets in boosting productivity. He will also present key findings from the 2024 Survey which had a focus on competition and provide some reflections on the state of competition in New Zealand generally – particularly the role of innovation – followed by audience questions.

David Haugh – OECD

Panel discussion: Collaborating to promote competition and innovation
This session will explore how collaboration can promote beneficial innovation amongst New Zealand businesses and, importantly, how this could be achieved. With a focus on the banking and payments sectors, we’ll examine how greater innovation through collaboration could be realised, whether through voluntary agreements or mandated obligations.

The discussion will be led by leaders from some of New Zealand’s most innovative banking and payments businesses, who will look into the role of shared standards, interoperability, consumer data rights, and sustainable technology frameworks in unlocking new markets and delivering long-term value for New Zealanders. We’ll also consider the practical challenges: powerful firms resistant to collaboration, restrictive IP regimes, and ensuring that cooperation doesn’t slip into cartelisation. Audience participation will help shape a discussion on the policies, technologies, and regulatory levers that can enable procompetitive collaboration to support innovative, competitive industries.

Facilitated by Bryan Chapple - Commerce Commission
Panellists: Adrian Smith – Blinkpay; Fernanda Garibaldi – Zetta; McGregor Fea – Altered Capital; Steve Wiggins – Payments NZ
Discussant: Kent Duston – Banking Reform Coalition

Lunch

Minister for Economic Growth address

Hon Nicola Willis (Virtual presentation)

Panel discussion: Collaboration to reduce costs
How can collaboration – and in some cases reduced competition – lower long-term costs for New Zealanders? With a focus on the energy and water sectors, this session explores whether current regulatory settings support efficient cooperation, where policy and investment uncertainties hold back progress, and what changes could unlock greater value.

Join panellists at the forefront of New Zealand’s energy and water sectors to discuss opportunities in standardisation, consolidation, innovation, and the interface between core networks and competitive edge activities. With audience participation, we will help shape a conversation on what could enable smarter, cost-saving collaboration.

Facilitated by Andy Burgess - Commerce Commission
Panellists: Caroline Ovenstone – Alpine Energy; Gillian Blythe – Water NZ; Geoff Cooper – Te Waihanga; Helmut Modlik - Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Coffee break

Panel discussion: What’s happening with innovative and disruptive competition?
In an era of rapid technological change and shifting global markets, innovation is reshaping competitive dynamics across industries, and New Zealand is no exception. This session explores where disruptive innovation is emerging in New Zealand, and the conditions that help – or hinder – young, fast-growing “gazelle” firms, and what it takes to cultivate an environment where bold ideas can take scale and become a competitive force.

Join leaders of some of New Zealand’s most innovative and disruptive businesses as we examine the barriers and enablers affecting innovation today – from investment settings to the role of government policy, law, and regulation. We’ll look at the sectors already experiencing disruption, those on the brink, and where untapped potential lies. Together with audience questions and observations, we’ll identify ways that we could accelerate capital deepening, strengthen competitive pressure, and support the rise of innovative firms that drive productivity and growth in New Zealand.

Facilitated by Anne Callinan – Commerce Commission
Panellists: Brooke Roberts – Sharesies; Jimmy Ormsby – Waitomo Group; Margaret Cooney – Octopus Energy; Wayne Kennerly – Kennerley Gourmet Grocery
Discussant: Tex Edwards - Monopoly Watch Research

Summary and reflections
Dr John Small – Commerce Commission

Whakakapi

5.00pm

Networking function