Expressions of interest for the 2016 Hutt STEMM festival have opened.

The Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing and Mathematics festival aims to raise awareness of what opportunities can be created by technology, encouraging future businesses to make Hutt City their location of choice, and to inspire young people to consider STEMM industries as a career.

“The science, technology, engineering, mathematics and manufacturing sectors are high growth, high knowledge and high yield industries, and the region is already a nationwide leader in many of them, with multiple businesses having international reach of their products and knowledge,” The Hutt Valley council says on its website.

National List MP Chris Bishop, who is based in the Hutt Valley, says he is looking forward to the 2016 Hutt STEMM Festival.

“Last year's inaugural STEMM festival was a big success and I'm backing this one to be even bigger and better,” says Bishop.

“The Hutt Valley – or ‘Technology Valley' – is already a hub for industries and jobs based on science, innovation, technology, engineering, manufacturing and mathematics and I'm keen to see those sectors grow for the benefit of our whole community,” he says.

“To create ‘Technology Valley' we have to raise the profile of our STEMM sector so that more people know that over 3900 people across more than 825 Lower Hutt businesses are employed full-time in the high-tech sector, that the sector generates $473 million in GDP already, and Lower Hutt has the fourth largest number of people in New Zealand employed in medium high-tech manufacturing,” Bishop explains.

“These are outstanding figures and the potential for further growth is large,” he says.

“Over the past year I've visited many Hutt businesses and organisations that contribute to this thriving part of our economy,” Bishop adds.

“I'm encouraging them to get behind the Hutt STEMM Festival 2016 and help show off ‘Technology Valley' to the world.

The 2016 Hutt STEMM Festival will be held from 4-12 June this year.