-Dieter Adam, Chief Executive, The Manufacturers Network Skill shortages continue to be one of the top problems facing manufacturing businesses, holding them back from growing and reaching their potential. Not only this, but with changing and increasingly accessible digital technologies such as automation, AI and networked manufacturing, the skills required in manufacturing are likely to […]
True enough, not only have microplastics been found in fish and shellfish, they have also been found in beer, honey, tap water, sugar and even air. We just didn’t know it! And, contrary to popular belief, when it comes to microplastics, what we don’t know can actually hurt us.
This glimpse of the future was crafted by Paul Stephenson Almost everything we own and buy contains plastics. Look around. If it’s not the chair you’re sitting on, or that part of a pen in your drawer, that bottle in your refrigerator, it may be this thing you’re holding ‒ your smartphone, or a keyboard, […]
On the good side, new platforms have made it easier for independent workers to connect with clients, diversify their income sources, and keep more of the income they generate instead of sharing it with a corporation with overhead and shareholders to pay.
Trees, please: Take a break from technology. To encourage people to examine the impact of technology on our lives, the artist Lauren McCarthy decided to try to become a human version of amazon.com’s smart home intelligence device Alexa. McCarthy installed a network of remote-controlled smart devices, from cameras and microphones to light switches and appliances, […]
“People are looking at food from not just a taste and health consideration but from a sustainability and environmental perspective,” he says. Sanitarium’s marketing business manager Hayley Scott who approached the tertiary institution with the technical challenge said the outcome surpassed their expectations.
Two leading academics have developed a new food design technique to help inspire the next generation of culinary designers and make artistic food presentation more accessible to New Zealand restaurants. The new technique developed in consultation with EPIC Otago Polytechnic R & D centre and The Food Design Institute at Otago Polytechnic allows chefs to […]
In New Zealand, many of the older timber rail bridges nearing the end of their useful life are being replaced by 'weathering steel' girder bridges which should provide a longer operational lifespan.
Corrosion will affect all types of metals to varying degrees of severity and speed. Unless comprehensive management plans are developed and implemented, steel and other metals will ‘rust’ and reinforced concrete will spall and crack. Corrosion can be prevented or minimised by either ‘isolating’ the material from its environment with some sort of coating or […]
– Clayton M. Christensen What do the Honda Supercub, Intel’s 8088 processor, and hydraulic excavators have in common? In The Innovator’s Dilemma they are all examples of disruptive technologies that helped to redefine the competitive landscape of their respective markets. These products did not come about as the result of successful companies carrying out sound […]
Dieter Adam, NZMEA We have recently talked about various Western countries positioning themselves to take industrial and manufacturing policy more seriously. It is worth further considering the future of manufacturing in relation to technology, productivity and jobs to help think about what policy moves may work, and those that may not be successful. The biggest […]
By Alexandre Pachulski, Co-Founder of Talentsoft Our global economy has begun yet another transformation. We are in the early stages of a fourth industrial revolution that will bring major changes to our societies, driven by advances in connectivity, automation, and artificial intelligence. With that, has come a global gap in the skilled talent necessary to […]
Comment by HERA Director Dr Wolfgang Scholz Now Donald Trump has officially taken over as the 45th President of the United States, many of us Kiwis (particularly those in business) think New Zealand is well and truly Trumped. But is it really all doom and gloom for the future of our nation when it comes to […]
Being “China Ready” means gaining an understanding of the resources and capabilities required to develop, enter, and ultimately grow in the market. By Mike Arand – NZTE China Business Development advisor Lately the question “Are you China Ready?” seems to be heard often and many are starting to ask what does “China Ready” really mean? […]