By IRENE CHAPPLE
New Zealand's participation in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor must continue, Unitec's chief executive John Webster said yesterday.
Unitec sponsored this year's GEM report and will continue to finance the research.
Webster said the research was too important to discontinue.
His comments come after the report's author, Unitec professor of innovation and
entrepreneurship Dr Howard Frederick, voiced his concerns about the report's future.
He said the GEM report needed a large injection of money to continue, and called on the private and public sectors for assistance.
This year's report, which cost $60,000, was produced "on the smell of an oily rag", said Frederick, and between $120,000 and $200,000 was needed to properly fund the project.
But Webster said there was huge goodwill at Unitec to continue the GEM research, and it would commit around $60,000 for another report.
He agreed sponsorship was needed but the basic research could continue with Unitec's support.
"We could add a lot of value in terms of adding breadth and depth of the report ... that's what extra assistance [could provide.]"
He said the report should be done annually for between five and seven years, after which it could be updated less frequently.
