The February Lookout: Our Place in the World 2050
Kia ora koutou,
This year presents a clear opportunity: to strengthen how New Zealand positions itself in a more contested and interconnected world. Economic strength, national security, trade, technology and democratic stability no longer sit in separate lanes. They intersect: and how well we align them will shape our prosperity, resilience and influence in the decades ahead.
Across the world, countries are reinforcing their economic and strategic foundations. For New Zealand, that requires a practical, whole-of-society approach, aligning business, government and communities around the shared task of safeguarding both security and growth.
That focus sits at the centre of our work in 2026.
This year, Aspen NZ is concentrating on three connected priorities: security, leadership and decision-making. Economic and national security are inseparable. Navigating that reality depends on coordinated leadership and sound judgment, particularly where trade-offs are complex and consequences long-term.
This edition examines what alignment looks like in practice - across security, trade, corporate strategy and leadership capability:
Global Affairs: Economic and National Security - A Whole of Society Approach
Critical Conversations: The Great Trade Realignment - Asia Rising
Plus: Navigating the Future of Sustainability Strategy
Upcoming Events: Debugging Decision Making
Next week we host Debugging Decision Making in Queenstown, a one-day roundtable focused on improving judgment in high-stakes environments. A limited number of places remain.
Our horizon remains constant: New Zealand’s Place in the World 2050. The aim is not simply to respond to change, but to get ahead of it, strengthening the capability and confidence required for the decades ahead.
A purposeful start to the year.