UK Trade & Investment Policy swerve recognises European uncertainties
These Regional Research Institutes are to be new research centres developed in areas outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
Wellington, 27 April, 2016 - Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced that three proposals to establish new Regional Research Institutes (RRIs) have been shortlisted and that applicants will now enter the business case development stage of the selection process.
Regional Research Institutes are to be new research centres developed in areas outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch that help build research and development intensity and lift innovation in key regional industries.
“Our regional economies have unique resources and strengths. The Regional Research Institutes initiative looks to harness these and build on economic potential by establishing independent and industry-focused R&D facilities,” Mr Joyce says.
A total of 24 proposals, from 16 different locations, were received for consideration.
“There were a number of credible and exciting proposals submitted, and the three shortlisted represent those considered at this stage to have presented the best plans for delivering the strongest growth in business R&D and innovation in regional areas,“ Mr Joyce says.
“For New Zealand to achieve its economic potential, we need all our regions to thrive. Regional growth is a priority for the Government and this initiative supports the Business Growth Agenda and its goal to increase business R&D expenditure to 1 per cent of GDP.”
The three shortlisted proposals are:
New Zealand Institute of Viticulture and Oenology, Marlborough, led by the New Zealand Winegrowers – research to support the growth and continuing success of the New Zealand wine industry.
Centre for Space Science Technology, Central Otago, led by Bodeker Scientific – research allowing the use of space-based measurements and unique to New Zealand satellite imagery to develop solutions tailored to regions and key sectors, for example, in water resource management and regional planning.
Earth+Vantage, Southland, led by Venture Southland – research using real time satellite and ground-based data to lift primary industry productivity across New Zealand, in areas such as precision farming, forestry and marine management.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will work with the three applicants on a more detailed analysis of their proposals and determine the preferred options that deliver the greatest value from the potential institutes. Once this process is complete, Cabinet will make its final decision on which new institutes will be established.
The development of privately-led regional research institutes was announced as part of Budget 2015, with funding for up to $25 million over three years to support the initiative. Proposals were invited from groups of businesses, researchers and private investors in November 2015.
“MBIE will also contact those applicants who were not successful in proceeding to the next stage at this time and provide evaluation feedback for them to consider when building on their initial concepts and for applying to any future funding rounds,” says Mr Joyce.
“The high level of interest from all applicants illustrates that there is plenty of potential for further regional growth in research and development.”
Lest we forget. Poignant words that mean so much to all New Zealanders.
Auckland, 27 April 2016 - So why then were 5 wheelchair bound servicemen from World War Two not allowed to march in the dawn parade at the Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph on Monday.
Because they were in wheelchairs and would "slow the march down" according a report in the NZHerald this morning. The organisors also commented that health and safety was an issue - hope they are not hiding behind the new H&S law to try and justify their decision.
Come on, whoever is responsible for this decision has got it wrong these guys will not be with us for much longer and deserve to be included in the march, not just placed at the Centotaph, on the very day that celebrates the sacrifice they and those who didn't return made all those years ago. Do we have to go so fast that we leave behind, or in this case don't include, the very people we gather to respect each year. To sacrifice a small amount of time in a case like this is not to much to ask, is it?
If you missed the Herald article you can read it here
Image Credit: stuff.co.nz
Financier's new Silk Road journey makes him pivotal figure in East-West economic balance
New Zealand’s new Brighter Money $5 note has been named Banknote of the Year in a prestigious international competition.
Wellington, 26 April 2016 - The $5 note was awarded the IBNS Banknote of the Year title at the International Bank Note Society’s annual meeting.
The IBNS Banknote of the Year award recognises outstanding achievement in the design, technical sophistication and security of a banknote or banknote series. Twenty banknotes from around the world were nominated for the award, and the winner was voted by IBNS members.
The IBNS says New Zealand’s $5 note was the competition’s “clear winner”, with Sweden’s 20 Kronor note, Russia’s 100 Ruble note, Kazakhstan’s 20,000 Tenge note and Scotland’s (Clydesdale Bank) 5 Pound polymer note voted the runners-up.
New Zealand’s new banknotes are designed and printed by Canadian Banknote Company in Canada.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Deputy Governor Geoff Bascand says the award is testament to the hard work and innovation by the Bank and its partners that has gone into developing the note.
“We are proud of all of New Zealand’s new banknotes, but to have our $5 note recognised internationally is very special. The note incorporates some of the world’s most advanced security features, yet still beautifully showcases New Zealand’s history, culture and heritage.”
The $5 and $10 notes have been in circulation since October. The new $20, $50 and $100 notes will come into circulation from May 16.
More informationBrighter Money websiteInternational Bank Note Society websiteCanadian Bank Note Company website
An outstanding cross-section of New Zealand companies have made it through as finalists in the 2016 Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards for Auckland and Waikato.
Auckland, 26 April 2016 - From household names to start-up businesses, judges have been impressed with the calibre of entries received this year, especially as this is the first time the awards have been opened up to Waikato enterprises.
Overall, there are 25 finalists in seven categories (see below).
“I’m delighted with the diverse range of finalists we have in this year’s awards. We have a mix of service industries and manufacturers. These awards are designed to give recognition to our exporting community, and acknowledge the hard yards they have put in to help transform our economy. This year’s awards will showcase a cross-section of some of our most ingenious and innovative businesses,” says Catherine Lye, ExportNZ Manager Auckland, Waikato & Bay of Plenty.
Exports account for 29% of New Zealand’s GDP (NZ$69.3 billion).
ExportNZ Auckland and Waikato are divisions of the Employers and Manufacturers Association. The 2016 awards will be presented at a black-tie gala dinner on Thursday, June 23 at The Langham Hotel, Auckland.
Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2016
2016 finalists for the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards
Award category 1:Westpac Exporter of the Year (export revenue over $25 million)1. Gallagher Group Ltd are renowned for innovation and marketing of animal management, security, fuel systems and contract managing solutions. [Waikato]2. Hobbiton Movie Set Tours provides a fascinating two hour guided tour of the set used for filming The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies which has experienced spectacular growth in visitor number in the past five years. [Waikato]3. Leigh Fisheries are New Zealand's largest and leading fresh chilled seafood exporter providing a sustainable premium product directly to USA, Europe, Asia and Australia on a daily basis. Working with artisan fishermen nationwide employing the art of long line fishing with the principles of "just in time" process of hook to plate internationally and domestically. [Northland]4. Vista Group Ltd is the global leader in film industry software solutions. Building on the dominant market position of Vista Entertainment Solutions, Vista Group has expanded to include a number of complementary businesses offering solutions across the wider film industry. [Auckland]
Award category 2:QBE Insurance Exporter of the Year (export revenue $10 million - $25 million)1. Auckland Institute of Studies is an independent tertiary education institution offering quality education and strong support services to international students. [Auckland]2. BBC Technologies are developers and manufacturers of advanced fruit and vegetable processing equipment, specialising in small, delicate commodities such as berries. [Waikato]3. Bobux International is a baby footwear developer and manufacturer which designs from a foot health first perspective which recognises that while barefoot is best it is not always practical. [Auckland]4. James Dunlop Textiles is an international converter and wholesaler of premium furnishing fabrics. Established more than a hundred years ago, it has been recognised internationally as a leading premium brand from the Southern Hemisphere. [Auckland]5. Waikato Milking Systems is a New Zealand success story. Founded in the Waikato in 1967, the company is today one of the leading designers and manufacturers of dairy systems in the world. [Waikato]
Award category 3:BDO Exporter of the Year (export revenue $1million - $10million)1. API Consumer Brands is a leading New Zealand developer, manufacturer, supplier, marketer, and distributor of high quality pharmaceuticals, toiletry and cosmetic products. From the two state of the art manufacturing plants they bring to the market the high quality toiletries and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and a range of controlled drugs. [Auckland]2. Dulux Powder & Industrial Coatings NZ with a reputation for quality and service, manufacture in New Zealand, and market internationally, a comprehensive range of colourful, innovative, and technologically advanced powder coatings. [Auckland]3. Rayglass Boats was established in 1989 and is a leading manufacturer of high quality power boats, with the Rayglass Legend and the Rayglass Protector being its two key prototypes. [Auckland]
Award category 4:Endace Services Exporter of the Year (export revenue $1million - $10million)1. Eagle Aviation Consulting Ltd is an independent consulting firm specialising in commercial aviation advisory and solutions for investors, airlines and governments. [Auckland]2. ICL Education is a group of education providers offering a range of tertiary business, computing, teaching English as a second language and early childhood education programmes. [Auckland]3. Keedup Ltd provides a 24/7 service to the international celebrity image business - editing, captioning, keywording and distributing the latest shots from celebrity hot spots such as Hollywood and Cannes. [Auckland]
Award category 5:TNT Emerging Exporter of the Year1. Triumph & Disaster is a modern day apothecary and skincare foundry using bespoke aromas and natural blends to deliver a product that’s reminiscent of simpler times. [Auckland]2. Virsae provides cloud services to allow its clients to manage their technology and communication systems to peak performance levels, so channels remain open and customers can always get an answer. [Auckland]3. Zealong Tea Estate Ltd produces organically certified tea which is handpicked from New Zealand’s only commercial tea estate. [Waikato]
Award category 6:Baldwins Intellectual Property Best Use of Commercialisation of Innovation for Export1. Adept Medical sells a range of ear, nose, radiology, cardiology, neuroradiology and sterilisation service products directly to hospitals. [Auckland]2. BBC Technologies are developers and manufacturers of advanced fruit and vegetable processing equipment, specialising in small, delicate commodities such as berries. [Waikato]3. Methven Ltd create amazing water experiences every day with their range of beautifully designed showers, tapware and valves. [Auckland]4. Quantec Ltd is a biotechnology business focused on capturing value from dairy, through innovation business activities in animal and human health. [Waikato]
Award category 7:Quantium Solutions Best Use of Digital Strategy for Export1. Metal Heart Ltd make fashion jewellery from the finest minerals and gemstones, with an emphasis on quality and brand experience. [Auckland]2. Natural Ringa Company create holistic products that enhance individual beauty and provide rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit. [Auckland]3. Triumph & Disaster is a modern day apothecary and skincare foundry using bespoke aromas and natural blends to deliver a product that’s reminiscent of simpler times. [Auckland]
Supreme Winner (selected from the winners of award categories 2-5)Simmonds Stewart Exporters Champion (for exemplary services to export)8. Supreme Winner (selected from the winners of award categories 2-5)9. Simmonds Stewart Exporters Champion (for exemplary services to export)
Droids or Drones? Which Will Be the Future of Delivery?
Princess Leia bet on droids, not drones, to get her priority package delivered. And that turned out OK, except for her planet getting blown up. A Skype founder's new hope is that droids can work just as well on Earth.Bloomberg News, 19 April 2016 - In the shadow of Greenwich’s 02 Arena - the futuristic dome originally built as London’s showpiece for the Millennium - what looks like a picnic cooler on wheels zips among groups of gawking children. This little delivery robot, designed to autonomously navigate sidewalks, not roads, later this year will begin making deliveries from local businesses direct to customers.
In doing so, it may just conquer e-commerce’s final frontier: the Last Mile, the least efficient and most problematic step in the delivery process.Starship's robotic delivery droid is designed to detect and give way to pedestrians.“Thirty to forty percent of the cost of delivery comes in the last mile,” says Allan Martinson, the chief operating officer of Starship Technologies, the company building this robot. The venture is the brainchild of Ahti Heinla, one of Skype’s original developers, and is backed by billionaire Skype co-founder and tech investor Janus Friis.
The little delivery robots designed by Starship and a competing U.S. startup called Dispatch are the BB-8s and Wall-E's of e-commerce. These scrappy droids are up against tech's strongest forces. Amazon is testing airborne drones, as are Wal-Mart and Google. Google has also sought patents for a driverless truck that would carry an array of storage lockers that unlock with a text message. And Uber is deploying drivers for food delivery, a concept that could be expanded to other products. And don't forget incumbents from Federal Express and UPS to government postal services.
While Starship's robot may be first to market, victory isn't assured. The droids have limitations, with economic viability confined urban areas. Drones have a higher sticker price and bigger regulatory hurdles to surmount, but may prove less expensive on a per-mile basis. And for the foreseeable future, some logistics experts say, humans still have the edge over any sci-fi inspired contenders.
Heinla, a tall, gaunt Estonian with shaggy blond hair and the disheveled look of an engineer for whom form matters more than fashion, says delivery droids have their advantages. Smaller robots are easier and cheaper to build. Because Starship’s droid weighs less than 35 pounds and travels slowly, it's less likely to cause damage. As a wheeled vehicle, there are no spinning rotorblades that could cause injury - unlike drones. Continue to full article . . .
Mainmark’s Christchurch Art Gallery project has been shortlisted for the International Project of the Year Award category at the 2016 Ground Engineering Awards in the United Kingdom.
Mainmark release, 22 April 2016 - The International Project of the Year Award recognises projects that have delivered geotechnical innovation that stands out on the international stage for credentials in sustainability, health and safety, and value engineering. Judges consider client satisfaction, innovation, value for money, performance against prediction, the quality of design and construction, safety, and application of quality management.
The Ground Engineering Awards celebrate engineering excellence of the finest firms in Britain and beyond, with 14 award categories spanning innovation, project and stakeholder management, sustainability, health and safety, and technical excellence.
We are thrilled to have the Christchurch Art Gallery project recognised on a global scale and in company with an outstanding cohort of engineering firms. We commend the organisers of the Ground Engineering Awards for recognising and showcasing the achievements of our active and growing industry, and we look forward to the interesting discussions that will emerge during the live judging stage in May.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to the Mainmark team, whose technical expertise and application of Mainmark technologies ensured the re-support and re-levelling of the Christchurch Art Gallery in just 52 days and under tight project management. The Gallery’s 6,500 square metre foundations suffered significant damage during the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, causing the 33,000 tonne building to sink. For more information on this project, click here.
We wish our team luck as they travel to London to attend the face-to-face judging by members of the 43-strong jury, made up of clients, contractors, consultants and academics; and we look forward to attending the Awards ceremony when the winners are announced on the 30th June.
Author: Philip Mack, Founder and Chairman of Mainmark
Philip Mack is the founder and chairman of the Mainmark group of companies. Following involvement in the Newcastle earthquake restorations in the early in 1990s, Philip added to the company’s grouting expertise by obtaining the exclusive distribution rights for the innovative Uretek resin injection technologies in 1994. Since then, Mainmark has established fifteen offices across the Asia Pacific region and now offers suite of ground engineering and asset preservation solutions, supported by state of the art equipment and expert technicians.
High Pressure Processing (HPP) equipment manufacturers for the food industry are experiencing a growing demand for their equipment and technology as we move through 2016. A prominent HPP equipment manufacturer who is represented here in New Zealand is Hiperbaric.
Auckland, 21 April 2016 - HPP is a preservative technology which does not involves heat and is applied to already-packed products, any possible recontamination that may occur during packing will be controlled. With the growing popularity and demand of raw, natural and additive free products, the global food industry is facing fundamental changes to conquer a customer that is becoming more and more informed and exigent by the day.
In a recent edition of the New Zealand Food Technology magazine an excellent article appeared tracing the development of nonthermal processing technologies. It is repeated here or you can read it in the New Zealand Food Technology Magazine:
It was 1898 when B H Hite, a chemist from West Virginia, introduced milk in a manual press he had made for achieving high hydrostatic pressures; he realised that milk lasted longer after doing so. Pressure has killed the spoilage bugs, he thought and he was right.
Almost at the same time and following Becquerel’s discovery of radioactivity in 1895, first research on the use of ionising energy to destroy microbes in food was published in a German medical journal. In the late 1940s, B L Flaumenbaum observed in his lab in Germany that fruit subjected to quick pulsed electricity saw their permeability increased, and microbes were inactivated.
Over a century after these initial discoveries and thanks to the evolution of designs and materials, we are seeing that these old solutions have, finally, become available to the food industry in a profitable way. The first method is now known as High Pressure Processing (HPP); the third, as Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF); the second, food irradiation, had an earlier adoption (it was firstly approved in the United States in 1986 and irradiated foods started to be commercialised in the 1990s).
In the last few years other technological advances have appeared in the food manufacturing space. With ultrasound, food manufacturers can take advantage of the cavitation generated by sound waves passing through the food and breaking the cell membranes of bacteria. Cold plasma, the most recent development in the sector, is still in the experimental phase. Plasma, aka the ‘fourth state’ of matter, is obtained applying extremely high energies to a gas, creating a gliding arc of ionised, nonthermal plasma that is able to sterilise the surface of foods.
These new techniques fit well in schemes pursued by food manufacturers, such as the hurdle concept and the minimal processing scheme which, respectively, promise food safety through putting barriers to the presence and growth of bugs along the food processing chain, and nutrition, functionality and retention of freshness in case of the latter minimal, gentle processing. Something else is shared by irradiation, high pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, or plasma treatment: they are all nonthermal technologies, meaning they don’t involve heating. These processes are applied to the food usually in chilled or ambient temperature condition so the components can stay fresh.
Heating the food is the traditional way of preserving foodstuffs and getting rid of undesirable spoilage microorganisms and pathogens. It is a great and effective way for obtaining safe products that last longer in our fridge or on the shelves. But it tends to flatten flavours and colours, and to harm the functionality and nutrition of the fresh, destroying for example vitamins or antioxidants. Additives and preservatives are the second common tool for making foods stable and safer, but consumers don’t want to see them on the labels. Overall, consumer demand is generating the need for new processing solutions and meals that are fresher, more natural, minimally processed, and with no artificial ingredients. These are precisely the most complicated to handle in the factory from the perspective of food safety and preservation, and this is why new hurdles and solutions are being implemented.
HPP systems are probably the highest growth category, with foods worth more than 750,000 Tons of product being processed annually, according to Hiperbaric, S.A., Burgos, Spain, a leading manufacturer of these industrial installations. The technique basically consists in applying pressures around 6,000 bar (6,000 atmospheres or 87,000 psi) to food during three to five minutes. Imagine submerging your bottle of fresh juice or your luncheon meat in the bottom of an ocean that was 60Km deep – 6 times more than the depth of the Mariana Trench, and that’s what high pressure processing is about. The microbes are destroyed but the food stays intact because pressure is isostatic, transmitted by water, and then equal from all sides.
HPP has seen spectacular growth over the past decade, and is projected to become one of the key factors of the new food industry and the most promising emerging technique, according to a Campden BRI (UK) study published in the journal Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies this year.
According to Hiperbaric, Cold Pressure Tecnology or HPP (High Pressure Processing) is becoming more mainstream in certain food spaces outside the traditional ones (mainly guacamole, continental meats, lobsters, to name a few), and two particular segments are now driving its growth: cold pressed juices, and HPP Tolling.
In the past three years, the cold pressed juice category has experienced explosive growth with well known names such as Suja, Evolution Fresh, Blueprint, Coldpress, Harmless Harvest etc. All of them are Hiperbaric customers. The Spanish company is growing this year to a turnover of more than 70m and has an order backlog for 2016 that indicates it might surpass 100m in 2016.
The second segment in which HPP technology is becoming more widely implemented is the Tolling/Copacking business model, in which contract service companies, refrigerated service suppliers and logistic platforms are adding Hiperbaric lines as a way to add value to their services. Using the network of toll HPP services, any food maker with a need for a pathogen lethality intervention, a extension of the product shelf life, or access to export markets, can access high pressure technology and pay on a per Kg, per pack or per batch basis, without the need of investing in its own Hiperbaric system.
In Australia and New Zealand, currently a total of 14 HPP systems are operating in most of the different segments including meat, shellfish, juices, nut milk, guacamole, RTE meals etc.
From laboratory to final industrial practice, gentle physical processes are helping the food industry in the making of hopefully safer, better eats and displacing chemicals from our diets. If evolution continues as expected and the price of these systems is progressively brought down, we will increasingly see pressurised meals and cold plasma hygienised dinners on our table.
For more information contact:
Scanz Technologies Ltd.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Phone: 09 520 2544