Christopher Nixon
Senior Research Economist
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Qualifications
Contact details
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Key specialist areas
- R&D
- Primary industry structure
- Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
- Trade and trade policy
- Environmental policy
Chris Nixon specialises in microeconomic issues and has a strong interest in institutional economics. He has wide consulting experience, particularly in trade and trade policy issues, public sector and industry economics, environmental economics, and the role of innovation. Chris also advises on strategy, particularly for private sector clients.
The recurring themes in Chris’s work are innovation, agricultural industries, R&D, trade and the importance of institutional factors in determining economic behaviour. In his most recent projects, Chris has:
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Demonstrated the increasing importance of pharmaceutical companies in funding biotechnology R&D, and given an overview of the issues that need to be addressed for biotechnology to flourish in New Zealand.
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Shown why the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act will cause problems for farmers in the horticultural industry.
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Put forward the economic arguments for government involvement in environmental extension work.
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Examined how a small country should conduct its trade policy in an effective and efficient manner.
Chris worked for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in the mid 1980s where he concentrated on agricultural trade. He has pursued these interests at NZIER using econometric tools to gauge the impacts of the Uruguay Round, analysing the impacts of increased supply of selected agricultural and fisheries products on the international market place, and examining environmental constraints and opportunities in agriculture.
