WELLESLEY, MA--(Marketwired - October 03, 2016) - Increasing use of international food processing technology, rising demand for quality products, and fulfilling consumer expectations are keying growth in the global market for food processing and packaging equipment. BCC Research reveals in its new report that these drivers and innovative technologies are transforming the food processing and packaging market into a high-volume industry. The food processing equipment industry comprises two groups: processing machinery and equipment, and packaging machinery and equipment. The food and beverage industries use processing machinery and equipment to transform raw plant and animal materials such as raw grains, fish,…

Top international scholars, Chinese officials and New Zealand exporters will gather at Victoria University of Wellington this month to examine how China’s push to modernise its agricultural sector will affect exporters in New Zealand. Victoria’s New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre is organising a two-day conference, ‘The Rise of Chinese Agriculture’, to analyse China’s changing policies, market trends, investments, food safety regulations and the potential flow-on effects to New Zealand’s agricultural business. Chair of the China Research Centre Tony Browne says the conference is a unique opportunity to hear directly from experts, practitioners, policymakers and industry players. “Included in the…

Does anyone need Gigabit fibre in 2016?  Writes James Ting-Edwards, InternetNZ's Issues Advisor.   The launch of blazing-fast fibre services has met skepticism, with journalists asking “does anyone need this?” Well, some experts are convinced you do, and I tend to agree. If you search for “things you can do with Gigabit Internet,” you’ll probably get a list that goes: stream five high-definition videos at once download faster than you can write to a USB drive enjoy the coming entertainment phenomenon of virtual reality. I agree these are pretty niche, but there’s another couple of items I’d say are much…

The Reserve Bank's Annual Report 2015-16 demonstrates the Bank's commitment to innovation as it continues to promote a sound and dynamic monetary and financial system, Governor Graeme Wheeler said today. Mr Wheeler said the Reserve Bank's activities affect New Zealanders' lives in many ways, including: supplying the currency they use, making decisions on the Official Cash Rate that affect their borrowing costs and return on savings; providing services to allow financial institutions to settle payments between one another, as well as regulating banks, finance companies and insurers. "This Annual Report provides information on progress across our various statutory functions, as…

The Productivity Commission released its draft report “New models of tertiary education” today. The report is a detailed inquiry into how well New Zealand’s tertiary education system is set up to respond to, and take advantage of, trends in technology, internationalisation, population, tuition costs and demand for skills. As part of the inquiry, the Commission was asked to identify potential barriers to innovation. “A good tertiary education system is one that meets the needs of all learners – including those from diverse backgrounds and with diverse goals. Our current system serves many students well and does many things very well.…

Port Otago continues to deliver, reporting an improved dividend of $7.3 million to its parent Otago Regional Council (ORC) for the year to June 2016. Group profit was recorded as $34.1 million compared to $52.4 million for 2015, though last year’s results included $27.9 million from the sale of the Port’s strategic investment in the Lyttelton Port Company. The performance came on the back of a 6% increase in export container volumes and higher investment property valuations. It wasn’t all plain sailing however, with lower log volumes, reduced containerised imports and less cruise vessels impacting the result. Container throughput of…

Christchurch, New Zealand will host the International Association of Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) Congress in September 2020. The five-day event, to be held at the new Convention Centre, is expected to attract 550 delegates from around the world, with an estimated economic benefit of AUS$1.2m (US$920,000) for Christchurch. Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) Business Events, through its Conference Assistance Programme (CAP), worked with Christchurch & Canterbury Convention Bureau (CCCB) to create the bid document, and provided presentation collateral including a letter of support from Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel. CCCB manager Caroline Blanchfield said that Christchurch had headed off New York…

The cargo arm of Etihad Airways has expanded its presence in Australia and New Zealand with the renewal of its contract with ACP to now also include Brisbane. Effective the 1st of October 2016, ACP will extend its current representation of Etihad Airways Cargo in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland to include Brisbane. After a thorough and comprehensive bidding process Etihad Cargo appointed ACP as its GSA to support the Etihad Cargo team across all major freight hubs in Australia and New Zealand. ACP Worldwide Regional director Australia & New Zealand, Ross Di Lizio said: “We are delighted that Etihad…

Professor Neil Quigley has been elected Chair of the Reserve Bank's Board of Directors, replacing Dr Rod Carr. Ms Kerrin Vautier has been appointed as Deputy Chair. Reserve Bank Directors are appointed by the Minister of Finance for five-year renewable terms, and they elect their Chair from among their numbers for one-year terms. The Chair appoints a Deputy Chair for a one-year term. Dr Carr said that he had advised the Board some months ago that he would not be seeking a further term as a Director of the Reserve Bank when his present term ends in July 2017. In…

In a world first experiment using non-invasive technology, researchers out of the University of Washington have set up a working brain-to-brain interface that allows one participant to identify what is in the mind of another. Using a game of question and answer, participants are able to transmit signals over the Internet using only their minds. Lead author, Assistant Professor Andrea Stocco, said “This is the most complex brain-to-brain experiment, I think, that’s been done to date in humans. It uses conscious experiences through signals that are experienced visually, and it requires two people to collaborate.” The experiment uses caps connected…

The majority of manufacturers have yet to implement an IoT strategy in their operations—here’s a guide to help in that quest.Sep 23, 2016 Beth Parkinson, Rockwell Automation | Machine Design Numerous initiatives have been put into motion around the world to fundamentally transform manufacturing as we know it. Though the initiatives go by different names—from the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition and Industrie 4.0 in the West, to Made in China 2025 and Manufacturing Innovation 3.0 in the East—they share a common pursuit: smart manufacturing. This global push for smart manufacturing is underway for good reason. By providing greater connectivity across…