If you’re a New Zealand business owner looking for offshore partners, skilled collaborators or even talent to recruit, it’s time to take another look at Central Europe.
We tend to associate countries like Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic with skilled emigration. And yes, for years, many of their best and brightest did head west. But increasingly, they are coming back. More importantly, they are coming back better connected, highly skilled and ready to do business internationally, including with New Zealand.
This return of talent is reshaping their economies. And for Kiwi businesses, it is quietly creating new opportunities in digital services, engineering, agritech and education.
On a recent business delegation through the region, I saw firsthand how this shift is being embraced not just by individuals, but by national strategies. Return migration is no longer viewed as a possibility. It is being treated as a competitive strength.
Repatriation as Strategy
In Romania, we heard about the Repatriot programme. It is a government-backed initiative that connects diaspora professionals with grants, investment pathways and business networks back home.
This is not just a gesture of goodwill. It is an economic play. These programmes are about converting overseas experience into local advantage. When returnees bring back new ideas and methods, they do not just fill jobs. They change them.
For New Zealand businesses, this means more potential partners who understand both the region and global markets. And it means greater openness to commercial collaboration.
The Economic Case for Return Migration
The impact goes beyond soft influence. Returnees are starting firms, upgrading family businesses and lifting standards in professional services. In sectors like energy, IT and manufacturing, many of the growth stories we encountered were being led by people who had worked abroad.
A Romanian chemical engineer we met was facilitating tech partnerships with New Zealand. A Czech winemaker had adopted vineyard techniques he had learned in Marlborough. In both cases, their experience had translated directly into commercial capability.
What the Data Shows
Return migration is not just anecdotal. It is starting to show up in the numbers.
| Country | Net Migration (2023) | Return-Focused Initiatives or Trends |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | +1.0 million (since 2017) | Economic growth attracting emigrants back; EU mobility leveraged for return. |
| Romania | +82,000 (2023) | Repatriot programme offering grants to returning expatriates. |
| Hungary | -6,100 (2024) | Talent still leaving; retention remains a challenge. |
| Czech Republic | +94,672 (2023) | Return migration rising as wage gaps narrow and domestic opportunities grow. |
Sources: Le Monde, Country Economy, Wikipedia, national statistics offices.
A Global Mirror for New Zealand
New Zealand has its own story of overseas experience and return. Many of our most dynamic businesses are shaped by people who brought something back — a way of thinking, a method, a connection. What Central Europe is showing us is how to treat that process not as an accident, but as a strategy.
These countries are not just training their people for export. They are designing systems to welcome them back and benefit from their growth. That means more highly skilled, globally minded people in leadership roles. And it means new partners for New Zealand.
If your business is looking to expand, diversify or collaborate with regions that are rising fast, Central Europe is worth watching. It is no longer just a supplier of talent. It is a generator of it — and a partner waiting to be met.
Sam Bassett is Chairman of Moore Markhams New Zealand and recently participated in the 2025 EU Business Delegation to Central Europe.
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