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Got a Trade? Got it Made!

Got a Trade Week 2016 is being launched today by Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Louise Upston. The week-long event is part of the Got a Trade? Got it Made! campaign which aims to raise awareness of on-the-job training and career opportunities in New Zealand’s trades and service industries. “It’s important that young people see the trades as a first choice when planning their careers. People like parents, teachers and careers advisors should also encourage jobs, especially to Māori, pacific people, and women who are all under-represented in trades.” Ms Upston said. “Strong employment growth is forecast…

Specialist manufacturing businesses in Orien's radar

Private equity firm Oriens Capital has received commitments of $30 million for its first fund, which will focus on regional investments.The final target size for the fund is $60 million. The firm has roped in investors like Sir Stephen Rober Tindall, founder of New Zealand retailer, The Warehouse and The Tindall Foundation, whose K1W1 investment company has put in over $100 million in seed and venture funding. Other investors include Quayside Holdings, Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust and others from the community. “The combination of best-practice fund structure, the investor and manager alignment, and a team with great experience in fund…

How connected products are changing the landscape for manufacturers

How connected products are changing the landscape for manufacturers and why it's going to be critical to your success. This is just one of the topics that will be presented at the CADPRO Systems organised Autodesk Manufacturing Event being held in Auckland next Wednesday the 24th of August and Christchurch the following day. The era of connection is upon us. Already consumers expect to be connected to their products whenever they want and wherever they are. And over the next decade the expectation is that the number of connected devices is going to significantly increase, enabling companies to provide unique…

New Zealand wine exports up 10%

New Zealand’s wine industry is well on track to reach its target of $2 billion of exports by 2020, according to Chair of New Zealand Winegrowers, Steve Green. New Zealand Winegrowers’ Annual Report shows exports have risen 10% in the last year, to just under $1.6 billion. This is the 21st consecutive year the industry has experienced significant export growth. "The on-going progress towards the $2 billion goal is founded on our reputation as a wine exporter of the first rank, known for crafting and marketing distinctively New Zealand, high quality, high value wines," said Mr Green. "This continued strong…

Mandatory labelling of palm oil will mislead consumers

Mandatory labelling of palm oil is likely to mislead consumers by implying that the world’s most sustainable vegetable oil crop is a toxic ingredient that is best avoided, says Katherine Rich. She was responding to a report that New Zealand's four largest zoos have joined a lobbying effort to force food companies to reveal whether they use palm oil. The NZ Herald reports that government representatives are expected to decide in November whether its inclusion in any products sold in New Zealand and Australia must be clearly labelled. It reported that there are expectations that FSANZ will vote for mandatory…

Advanced battery technology powers devices for twice as long

New battery could power consumer electronics devices for double the current limit writes Keri Allan in the Engineering and Technolgy Magazi. A new lithium metal battery has been developed that could power drones, mobile phones, wearable technology and even electric cars for double the current limit. SolidEnergy Systems has developed a rechargeable ‘anode-free’ lithium metal battery that it says offers double the energy capacity of standard batteries used to power many consumer devices. Qichao Hu co-invented the battery at MIT before going on to become SolidEnergy Systems’ CEO. Working in the group of MIT professor Donald Sadoway, a well-known battery…

Air New Zealand saves AUS$7m with new global catering contract

Air New Zealand cut costs by more than AUS$7m by signing a AUS$170m contract for a new global catering service. The project, which involved drawing up a new simplified contract covering nine airports and four continents, helped the airline win International Procurement Project of the Year in the CIPS Australasia Awards. Procurement’s role in its sustainability framework also helped it win Best Contribution to Corporate Responsibility. Inflight catering is the airline’s fourth largest operational cost, but the previous contract with LSG Sky Chefs varied in scope and structure at each airport. At some airports LSG would be accountable for delivering…

Port of Tauranga Completes Major Five Year Expansion Programme

Financial results for the year to 30 June 2016Strong container volumes offset a fall in log exports Highlights Net Profit After Tax down 2.4% to $77.3 million following increase in depreciation charges and downturn in log volumes Parent EBITDA rises 2.2% to $125.7 million as strong growth in container traffic offsets a decline in log exports Container volumes increase 12.1% to just over 950,000 TEUs First 9,500 TEU ships to start calling at Port of Tauranga in October after channel dredging completed and landside facilities upgraded Final dividend of 30 cents per share lifts total dividends to 53 cents per…

Kava company reaches out to the world

GOVERNMENT has provided a great way forward for exporters under its National Export Strategy (NES) initiative, says Green Gold Kava managing director Praveen Narayan. "My small family-owned Fijian owned company knows no bounds and is eager to reach out to the world," he said. Mr Narayan has always promoted his company's aims of "green gold kava globalisation" to his customers locally and overseas. The kava exporting company, based in Savusavu, was one of the 11 successful companies awarded grants last week under the Government's NES initiative. "My company was awarded $60,000 grant for the purchase of new kava pounding and…

Victoria offers unique international trade degree

In a trans-Tasman first, a new international trade degree, launching at Victoria University of Wellington in 2017, will encourage students to work beyond traditional academic divides and succeed in the global economy. The Master of International Trade, open to domestic and international students, offers a unique opportunity to understand international trade law, economics, and political economy, as well as a variety of cultural and critical perspectives impacting trade. The degree will span four different faculties and schools—Law, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Victoria Business School—giving students a unique perspective on international trade. “New Zealand has a global reputation as…

ResMed Takes Fisher & Paykel to Court over Patents

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ResMed (NYSE: RMD), the world's leading tech-driven medical device company and innovator in sleep-disordered breathing and respiratory care, announced today it has filed legal actions with the United States International Trade Commission, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego (3:16-cv-02072-JAH-MDD), as well as courts in New Zealand and Germany, to stop the infringement of its patented technology by New Zealand-based medical device manufacturer Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. "ResMed is known for its commitment to providing patients with high-quality products that result from sustained, substantial investment in…

Manufacturing: The Future of Making Things

The Future of Making Things articulates that technology is changing how customers design and make things. This is just one of the topics that will be presented at the CADPRO Systems organised Autodesk Manufacturing Event being held in Auckland next Wednesday the 24th of August and Christchurch the following day. Autodesk has always been focused on helping customers through disruptive changes in their technology. Autodesk is uniquely positioned to create the next generation of tools for designers and makers of things, and to lead them through the transition. Join presenter Russell Speight, Autodesk Australia at this week’s events in Auckland…