Wellington-developed earthquake technology is being picked as a potential money earner for the capital.
The city has been accepted into the Rockefeller Foundation programme, 100 Resilient Cities, which helps others cope with catastrophes.
Wellington City Council chief executive Kevin Lavery said home-grown quake engineering would gain access to different markets through the programme.
He said the technology included base isolators, and pads made from layers of rubber and lead, designed to absorb an earthquake.
"A great example would be Kobe in Japan in 1995. When the earthquake happened there, one of the few large structures that survived was using Wellington-based isolation technology, so what we need to do is look for ways to commercialise the great research and expertise that we have."