By Doug Green

A competitive advantage we have in New Zealand is the ability to think outside the box. An advantage Professor Goran Roos believes some of our competitors in Asia and India may not have.

We are of course talking here about the manufacturing sector.

He also believes that the European mid-size manufacturer is successful is because they focus on the high value, high quality end of the spectrum. While in Australia manufacturers find it tougher because they are still operating in a low cost manufacturing country.

Where do you see your company in these examples? I suspect that New Zealand companies are more the former than the latter. There are lots of companies here highly skilled and innovative who are developing high quality products. This I believe is indicated by organisations like NZTE and the types of clients they selectively work with to increase our business avenues overseas.

You only need to look at current developments in food and bioscience to realise we have a lot of potential winners here.

Speaking of food, July issue is starting its wind up to FoodTech PackTech 2012 which is being held in Auckland from 25-27 September. If ever there was an exhibition of technology and innovation to visit this is it.

The food sector has productivity rates consistently above average across some 30,000 companies, employing one to five of our total workforce.

Just look at the purpose-built FoodBowl at Auckland Airport with hubs at Palmerston North and in the Waikato and a cluster which includes the Riddet Institute, Plant and Food Research and Fonterra Innovation, Lincoln University in Canterbury – and you realise it is very serious business indeed!

All in the name of driving our food and beverage exports to a challenging $150 billion by 2025.

There are lots of people stories in this issue. People who are being creative and moving ahead in challenging times. If you have a story tell why not join them in NZ Manufacturer? Email me words@xtra.co.nz and together weÕll put your story together.

Finally, we welcome a new Advisor to the publication. Professor John Raine, Head of the School of Engineering at Auckland Institute of Technology.