Items filtered by date: Tuesday, 02 December 2014

DairyNZ is hailing the fact that 97 percent of dairy cattle are now fenced off from waterways, but its latest Water Accord report reveals a significant worsening of reported nutrient leaching in the areas with the biggest new conversions, reports Lynn Grieveson on NewsroomPro

DairyNZ described the fencing on waterways as going from Cape Reinga to Bluff 12 times, and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy had it going to Chicago and back - but they both agreed the 26,197 kilometres of fencing stopping cattle from getting into streams, rivers and lakes was something to celebrate.

And while farmers are congratulating themselves on the fencing achievement, critics say it is still not enough.    Continue to read the  full article here on Newsroom

| A Newsroom release  || May 16, 2017   |||

Drones, driverless vehicles, 3-D printing, wearable technology and robotics that will have the largest impact on the supply chain over the next five years is the subject of a study carried out by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Global Supply Chain Institute.  Of the technologies, studied  robotics will be byfar the greatest potential disrupter over the next five years.

"Robotics have been around for more than 50 years, but they have become dramatically more dynamic in the last five," said Paul Dittmann, executive director of the Global Supply Chain Institute. "They are no longer stationary, blind, expensive and unintelligent but can work alongside people and learn as jobs change." 

The Lang Technik Robotic Systems who are represented in New Zealand by WorthyCAM are a good example of the advances made in automated systems that now make short runs very competitive.  And as far as Drones are concerned only have to turn to the TV News to see how footage taken by a Drone enhances the viewing experience.

|  A Materials Handling & Logistics release  ||  May 16, 2017   |||

Ξ   Top goes on Wellington's new airport control tower

Ξ   Government announces plans to build 34,000 homes in Auckland

Ξ   Latest Water Accord update shows good environmental progress by farmers

Ξ   Methven shares drop to 15-month low on profit warning

Ξ   China's One Belt One Road plan explained

Ξ   Urgent systems outage at Lyttelton Port

Ξ   A Dunedin contract manufacturer scores contract with Artemis

Ξ   Major leadership reshuffle at Linfox

Forecasting is a valuable part of the monetary policy process, helping the Bank plan for the future, communicate its current understanding and intentions, and react to unexpected events, Reserve Bank Assistant Governor and Head of Economics Dr John McDermott said today.

During a speech to the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) in Christchurch, Dr McDermott outlined the reasons why the Bank regularly produces and publishes forecasts and Official Cash Rate (OCR) projections.

“Forecasting is not supposed to be prophecy; rather, it is about being precise about our thinking. It requires the Bank to be rigorous, unbiased, and open to new ideas in formulating and implementing monetary policy. Being numerically precise about our view of the future allows us to test ideas, which in turn accelerates our ability to learn and understand what is going on,” said Dr McDermott.

Dr McDermott said the economy is populated with thousands of households and businesses responding to their own particular circumstances and opportunities, and therefore the range of possible outcomes is vast. Because of the complexity of the economy and the developments continually affecting it, the Bank’s forecasts are inevitably subject to change.

“The Bank’s forecasts are highly conditional on the information currently available and are revised when important additional information comes to light. In recent Monetary Policy Statements the Bank has published scenarios to illustrate how the forecasts would change should the economy develop differently,” said Dr McDermott.

Forecasts also help people form expectations of the future and therefore guide current actions. By building people’s understanding of how the Bank is likely to react to news, and by explaining its forecasts and policy stance, the predictability of monetary policy decisions is enhanced and policy uncertainty is reduced.

More information: The value of forecasting in an uncertain world

| A RBNZ release  ||  May 15, 2017   |||

The year’s winner of the international Swedish Steel Prize is Kiruna Wagon from Sweden on whom we ran an article on earlier in May.   The prize was awarded for the company’s innovative wagon solution, the Helix Dumper. Kiruna Wagon has used high-strength steel to develop a highly durable and far more efficient wagon solution than other ore wagons on the market.​

“Kiruna Wagon has successfully updated a good idea and used high-strength steels to turn it into a brand new, superior wagon solution,” says Eva Petursson, Chairman of the Swedish Steel Prize jury and head of SSAB’s Strategic R&D.

This year is the 17th time the Swedish Steel Prize has been awarded and the runners-up, were Fermel from South Africa, JMG Cranes from Italy and Wabash National from the USA.

Read more about the Swedish Steel Prize on www.steelprize.com and see the original article here.

The latest New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) Survey of Business Conditions, completed during April 2017, shows total sales in March 2017 increased 2.93% (year on year export sales decreased by 8.10% with domestic sales increasing by 17.95%) on March 2016.

In the 3 months to March, export sales decreased an average of 9.4%, and domestic sales increased 7.1% on average.

The NZMEA survey sample this month covered NZ$360m in annualised sales, with an export content of 51%.

Net confidence rose to 23, up from 0 in February.

The current performance index (a combination of profitability and cash flow) is at 97, down from 98.3 last month, the change index (capacity utilisation, staff levels, orders and inventories) was at 102, up from 100 in the last survey, and the forecast index (investment, sales, profitability and staff) is at 105.33, down on the last result of 106.33. Anything over 100 indicates expansion.

Constraints reported were 78% markets, 11% skilled staff and 11% capital.

A net 38% of respondents reported a productivity increase in March.

Staff numbers increased 4.31% year on year in March.

Supervisors, tradespersons, managers, professional/scientists and operators/labourers reported a moderate shortage.

“Domestic sales lead growth for manufactures in March, increasing an impressive 17.95% on March 2016. Average monthly growth for domestic sales over the last three months was 7.1%. Staff numbers have also picked up, increasing 4.31% on the same month last year, a break from a recent trend of staff number decreases.” Said NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam.

“In contrast, export sales have continued to struggle, falling 8.10% on March 2016, resulting in an average decrease of 9.4% in the past three months. Exports experienced a monthly average decrease of 4.8% in the last 12 months, compared to the same months in the previous year.

“Net confidence rose from the neutral position of 0 in February, to a more positive 23, while two out of three index measure (performance and forecast) experienced a slight decrease on last month. Market conditions remained the highest reported barrier to growth, significantly higher at 78% than skilled staff and capital, both at 11%.

“The challenges in export sales in this survey was reflected in the recent Overseas Merchandise Trade release by Statistics New Zealand. Mechanical machinery and equipment export values felt a fall of 6.13% in March on the same month last year, while electrical machinery and equipment experienced a 1.61% decrease in the same period.

“Exports are an indispensable part of the path to a more prosperous New Zealand. However, the backward movement in exports over the last year presents a real challenge that needs addressing. As the election approaches, we need to see all political parties put ideas forward on how to create an environment where our high value exports can grow and thrive.” Said Dieter Adam.

The New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association survey gathers results from members around New Zealand. It provides a monthly snapshot of manufacturers and exporters’ sales and sentiment.

For results tables and graphs, click here.

| An NZMEA release  ||  May 15, 2017   |||

Ξ   Machinery Market Latest isssue

Ξ   'Win-win' for employers hiring former inmates

Ξ   Lyttelton Port plans 'urgent' outage tomorrow night over WannaCry attack

Ξ   Kiwi firms find export opportunities beyond usual suspects

Ξ   McClay trades on NZ’s underdog status

Ξ   Don’t click strange links, to avoid cyber-attack

Ξ   Goldsmith to represent New Zealand at Belt and Road Forum

Here we go! We are about to open a 10 day launch attempt window from May 22, 2017, for the first launch attempt of our Electron rocket.

The launch, titled ‘It’s a Test’, will take place from our private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand.

This is a significant milestone for Rocket Lab and the space industry globally. We are about to enter the next phase of the Electron program, which will see the culmination of years of work from our dedicated team here at Rocket Lab.

'It's a Test' is all about gathering data. There are over 20,000 channels collected during the flight. We will use this information to learn and iterate.

As with any new rocket, there are a lot of factors that come together ahead of a test and we’re not going to fly unless we’re ready. It's highly possible we will scrub multiple attempts as we fine tune and wait for favorable weather conditions.

We’re committed to making space accessible. Thanks for your interest and support - it means a lot to us.

Stay tuned!

Cheers,Pete

|  A RocketLab release  ||  May 15, 2017   |||

Tomorrow Liam Malone will graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University adding another another hard earned award to his growing list of acheivments. 

There were a few distractions on the way, not least competing in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Liam’s next step is to become the fastest person on the planet. “I’m going to be the fastest person on the planet, legs real or not. It’s important to do things that shape the future and this would be one of those things,” Liam said in a recent Victoria University press release.  

So technology around the running blades will no doubt play a role in helping Liam acheive his goals so it was interesting to have a look back at just how these blades came about and where from.

The Flex-Foot, as the blades are called, are made in the USA  by Össur an organisation whose aim is to improve peoples mobility and provide prosthetic solutions.

Here is the Flex-Foot story

This weekend the largest ever ransomware attack in the world has been hitting computer systems of private and public organisations in hundreds of countries, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says.

Spread via phishing emails where an email that appears to come from someone people know encourages them to open an attachment or click on a link, only to deposit a small piece of malicious code on your system. The bug looks for machines running unpatched versions of Microsoft Windows and then spreads across your network infecting other machines as it goes, Muller says.

“Called a ransomware as it locks people out of their files and demands a ransom before they can access them again. While the ransom is relatively small at around $NZ430 per computer, the criminals who are collecting the ransom will be making millions having successfully taken down large organisations such as the NHS (UK’s National Health Service), Telefonica and FedEx as well as thousands of smaller businesses.

“As a result, the recently launched New Zealand Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is getting its first real test this weekend and have provided excellent advice for Kiwis.

“First, don’t open suspicious emails or emails from unknown people. Secondly, ensure that you keep your computer updates up to date. In this case ensure the Microsoft patch (MS17-010) released in March has been installed by running an update. Finally, you can also reduce the risk by blocking international emails for a few days until the wave passes.

“If you do get attacked the only option you have is to pay the ransom or throw away your computer. If you get attacked disconnect from any network you are on to prevent it attacking someone else. If you are running a computer with Microsoft XP or 2003 operating systems turn it off now as there are no patches available for these older systems.

“For organisations that require further support or more specified advice, we appeal Kiwis and NZ organisations log an incident on the CERT website at cert.govt.nz.

“Cyber-attacks by ransomware have increased by 50 percent in the past year, according to a study by Verizon and the total cost of cyber-attacks has been estimated to worth over $NZ400 billion a year now.”

This is a very low risk yet highly profitable form of crime but Muller says not to expect it to go away. In fact, it will only get worse until we learn how to be better at keeping our systems up to date and not responding to random emails, he says.

|  A MakeLemonade release  ||  May 14, 2017   |||