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Structural steel industry targets women with new initiative

Industry body launches initiative to foster gender diversity in the structural steel industry. WISS speakers: L-R, Nikki Hart, Michelle Gutierrez-Smith, Kelly Jeffries, Bridget Young. More than 50 women gathered at the Hilton Auckland recently for the inaugural Women in Structural Steel event. Hosted by industry body Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ), the event brought women together from different backgrounds, different industry roles and different stages in their careers to connect and learn from one another. “SCNZ is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion,” says Darren O’Riley, General Manager, SCNZ. “This initiative aims to encourage women into the industry by creating a welcoming and supportive environment, and showcasing the variety of opportunities within the sector. Ultimately, we want to grow the number of women engaged throughout the industry, year on year.” Last year, SCNZ Services Coordinator Michelle Gutierrez-Smith (pictured) attended a Women in Leadership summit and was inspired by all of the women and the diversity in the room – age, experience, background and industry. “I looked at the structural steel industry with fresh eyes,” says Gutierrez-Smith. “I want to see more women in our industry; I want to see more women in leadership roles in our industry; I don’t want them to be hindered because they are women. It was a catalyst for SCNZ to establish Women in Structural Steel.” Attendees at the event heard from three speakers: D&H Steel Construction’s Kelly Jeffries and Grayson Engineering’s Bridget Young shared their inspiring stories of thriving in the traditionally male-dominated structural steel industry; and nutritionist Nikki Hart offered some invaluable insights into how to maintain a healthy relationship with food and drink in our busy, modern world. SCNZ plans to build on the success of the first event and host regular Women in Structural Steel sessions in future. […]

Net-zero steel in building and construction: The way forward

As the world transitions to lower greenhouse-gas emissions, construction companies have a major role to play. In making the green buildings of the future, they have a chance to tap into demand that spans geographies and architectures. Indeed, greener business models are potential magnets for trillions of dollars earmarked for sustainable investment. In addition, companies that adapt effectively will ensure they are aligned with an increasingly stringent regulatory agenda. The decisions made by construction executives now will determine how they are positioned for the transition over the coming decade. Those that prepare astutely are likely to seek out emerging pockets of innovation and dial up investment in sustainable technologies and capabilities. To be sure, new materials such as green steel are more expensive, and will therefore demand a new pricing model. However, they can significantly reduce embodied carbon—in commercial buildings by as much as 70 percent by 2030. Amid tight industry margins, a priority for decision makers will be to ensure that there is a solid business case for change. The key in that regard will be to establish market position, while adjusting to a new cost base. They must also ensure that greener business models are aligned with demand that will rise at an uncertain pace over time. A tricky calculation is required, but the prize is a chance to get ahead in a market that is set for a potentially rewarding future. Construction industry emissions From houses to bridges, hospitals, and skyscrapers, the construction industry is responsible for approximately 25 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. A third of these are associated with materials and the construction process, or so-called “embodied carbon.” One reason for the industry’s high emissions is that it is a voracious consumer of steel, accounting for more than 50 percent of global demand.2Due to the energy required for its […]

Decarbonising steelmaking

This article, one of many NZ Manufacturer will be sharing on the subject, comes as a result of conversations with companies in the steel industry who require information on decarbonising steel and steelmaking. Seventy five percent of steel is made from high-emissions plants Nearly three-quarters of crude steel today is made from iron ore in blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) plants. These plants release carbon when coking coal is burned and used as a reducing agent. One key decarbonisation action could be to replace blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces fed by scrap and/or H2-DRI; powering EAFs with 100 percent carbon-neutral electricity would eliminate energy-related emissions. Moving to low-emissions production would require $4.4 trillion spending over the next 30 years, with the top end spend coming between 2030 and 2040. In this scenario, three-quarters of investment will likely be on new hydrogen-powered DRI-EAF plants, and the rest to equip existing BF-BOF plants with CCS. Thirty percent increase in unit production costs for steel Costs for steel in the net-zero scenario could increase because of up-front capital spending and higher operating costs associated with CCS and hydrogen-based DRI-EAF production. Market opportunities The shift toward net-zero steel production would likely depend on a collaborative effort among regulators, governments, and industry stakeholders to change the economics of production, facilitate access to required capital, and stimulate demand. First movers that manage the transition risks well stand to gain the most. Sixty five percent of steel will come from plants with electric arc furnaces in 2050 and there will be a ten percent increase in global demand for steel compared with today. Getting all the way to net-zero steel Recent developments in regulations, along with commitment among some governments to reduce CO₂ emissions, have led many steelmakers to set high decarbonisation goals in coming years. While […]

Regulated product stewardship driving transition to a circular economy

By Trevor Tutt – GM Innovation, 3R Group Something which will affect almost all New Zealand businesses has mostly flown under the radar since it was announced during the covid pandemic. A swath of products are set to fall under regulated product stewardship for the first time in New Zealand after they were announced as priority products in July 2020. This means, for the first time in Aotearoa New Zealand, regulated product stewardship schemes are being established for tyres, electronic waste, single-use plastic packaging, synthetic refrigerant gases, agricultural plastics, and agrichemicals. So, if you rely on refrigeration, transport, electronics, or plastic packaging for your goods, you may be affected. It’s a big range of products, with more likely to be announced following government consultation on ways to accelerate product stewardship in new waste legislation. What is regulated stewardship? Product stewardship sees scheme members contribute towards the collection of their products at the end of life so they can be reused, recycled or properly disposed of. This usually means a stewardship fee is charged at the point of manufacture or import and is used by a scheme to achieve better environmental outcomes. The pay-off is improved environmental performance and brand reputation, as well as reduced risk from environmental harm. New Zealand has several voluntary stewardship schemes where participation is just as the name suggests – voluntary. These can suffer from limitations due to insufficient data and resources, and free riders – those who don’t contribute but whose products are stewarded through the scheme. Regulated stewardship sees all of industry required to participate. This provides a level playing field with no free riders. Schemes are therefore better resourced financially and through industry support such as knowledge sharing and collaboration. Data capture is also greatly improved. Regulated schemes are better equipped to reduce […]

Where to for sustainability in an economic downturn?

-Dr. Barbara Nebel, CEO, thinkstep-anz Is sustainability a ‘fair weather friend’ in your manufacturing business? Do you see it as something to cut back when recession calls? If so, you’re missing a business opportunity. Building a more environmentally and socially sustainable business can make your business more efficient and resilient and help you weather the storms ahead. The New Zealand government is forecasting a recession in 2023. This is difficult news for manufacturers already challenged by creaky supply chains and a tight market for skills. Make the most of the many opportunities sustainability offers. Business benefit: reduce your costs Understand your environmental impacts – and reduce them Everything that goes into making your product has an environmental footprint – and a dollar cost. Start by understanding your footprint. A Product Carbon Footprint study measures the carbon your products generate. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) considers other impacts too, including the water you use and the waste you generate. Food manufacturer Comvita’s LCA NZ Manufacturer October 2022 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu will help the business understand the environmental impacts of its ‘honey in a pot’, from growing the mānuka forests the bees feed on to disposing of the honey’s empty packaging. Armed with information about your environmental impacts, look at whether you can cut some costs. Can you reduce the amount of energy you use? Use raw materials more efficiently? Cut the waste you generate and the costs of disposing of it? The beauty of LCA is that it shows trade-offs. It will help you understand how tweaking one aspect of your product (e.g. the energy you use) affects other aspects (e.g the waste you generate). Buy responsibly Purchasing goods and services produced in environmentally and socially responsible ways can save you money. For example, buying from local […]

Editorial February issue NZ Manufacturer: Productivity

Aren’t you sick of talking about it? However, I do need to ask “Is your company highly productive, or not productive enough?” We need to talk about it – not in a “we need to talk about Kevin way” – because Productivity is front and centre for all the country needs, and stands for, to get ahead. Let’s be clear, there are plenty of companies hugely invested in the technology and specialist staff to enhance their Productivity. And then there are those, unsure of the investment, unsure of return on investment. Too small to fail, too concerned to move ahead. Overcoming this fear can put the world at their feet. The drive to place Productivity ‘front and centre’ is very much in the mission statement, of such organisations as EMA and HERA, and forward thinker Ian Walsh of Argon. These are all deeply committed to Industry 4.0 and assisting their members and clients to move forward with better tools and outcomes for the future. The crises that have affected New Zealand’s business momentum over recent years are numerous – the Christchurch earthquake, the terrorist attack, climate change and the war in Ukraine. Supply chain issues, inflation and the relentless search for qualified staff to keep moving business forward. Whenever money is needed for flood relief or a crisis, there is a scramble to find it. Whatever party is in power does not solve the reality: money will always be tight. We are a nation that does well with Productivity in a crisis, when we need to clean-up. It is not a financial return! Work with the specialists and experts who can assist move your company forward. If you need to form a conglomerate to share equipment and resources, do it. Do not get left behind without the technology and skilled […]

How good is your productivity?

-Ian Walsh, Partner, Argon & Co ANZ As I have covered previously, New Zealand’s GDP has been declining relative to other OECD countries for over 40 years, sitting at 21st out of 38 countries as of 2021. This concerning situation affects our quality of life, our ability to invest and the provision of the services and amenities we have come to expect. The root causes for this have been provided over many years: geographical separation, access to capital and, of course, productivity. To quote American economist Paul Krugman, ‘productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run, it’s almost everything’. We currently lag significantly behind many OECD countries in output and hours worked. It is simply not possible to work more hours. We are now in a tight labour market, with lack of skills and availability of resources and rising wages as a result and we can no longer rely on the number 8 wire, she’ll be right and just harden up attitude. To keep up with the Irish we would need an extra 10 hours a day! This is our climate change moment. The house is burning and throwing a bucket of water at it won’t fix it. A frontier study comparing us to similar countries in size and scale, and allowing for the geographic differences, found that the key shortfalls are: Industry, government and research/university collaboration Focus on key sectors which there is a natural advantage or capability Support through appropriate technology and capital investment Development of human capital through training, mentoring and adoption of best practices The outcome of having these things has been outstanding performance for Scandinavian countries, Singapore, Ireland and Denmark, amongst others. By contrast, in NZ we have: Underinvested in capital, as it is easier to use flexible labour and avoid the spend Underinvested in […]

Women in Engineering: Lydia Frater

NZ Manufacturer profiles women in engineering, supporting The Diversity Campaign and those who come forward. This profile on Lydia Frater, is a recommendation from HERA. –Doug Green, Publisher. Contact me to take part. What inspired you to pursue engineering? I was inspired by a trip with the rotary national science and mathematics forum. I took my first look into real-life engineering at work and fell in love with the environment and skill set, once this idea came into my life. I took the advantage to learn more about engineering disciplines and talked to engineers and students taking engineering to get a full view which inspired me more. I was mostly inspired by the people and how welcoming and fulfilled they were with their career choice. Civil/Structural engineering – does this mean large projects for you to work on? Being accepted into a Civil/Structural engineering degree at UC I hope in the future to work on large projects and to fill my career with challenges, large accomplishments and teamwork. I particularly enjoy using my people skills, which come in handy with large projects. What is an example of a completed project you admire? I do admire the Sky Tower in Auckland as it has a lot of character. And also the Ngāi Tahu building Te Whare o Te Waipounamu as I work part-time there and am amazed by it inside and out. What would you like to specialise in? I hope to specialise in structural engineering and pursue static and dynamic buildings as I enjoy using creativity with logic and building for the environment. How would you incorporate creativity? I enjoy structures that have character and stand out as a statement. I would like to bring in creativity, using ideas and knowledge already taught, but setting a goal of making it into something more personal. […]

Southland to be an industrial powerhouse

The Southland Engineering & Manufacturing Cluster, a newly established group, is on a mission to turn Southland into a collaborative industrial powerhouse for the engineering sector. The initiative is driven by the knowledge that the South is rich in talent, with engineers and manufacturers capable of excelling in diverse projects across a multitude of industries and fields. The primary objective is to ensure the sustainability of engineering in the Southland region by fostering a thriving environment for industry players to work together. The Southland Engineering & Manufacturing Cluster is committed to facilitating growth and the equitable sharing of opportunities. Over the next few months, they will be making contact and introducing the concept and advantages of collaborative pitches and projects. Dean Addie, Chair of the Engineering & Manufacturing Cluster, underscores the importance of building a collaborative industry, to showcase the incredible capabilities of the region. He explains, “This will effectively demonstrate to potential clients what we can achieve and the vast breadth of knowledge and skill we bring to the table. By working collaboratively, we will empower our regions to bid for large engineering contracts with confidence.” The vision is to enable international and national contracts to be fulfilled in the South, leading to the growth of industries, more job opportunities, robust regional economies, and the creation of additional skilled positions. Southland’s people are not only highly skilled but also remarkably adaptable, with world-leading technology and projects emerging from the region. Brendan Gray, the Southland Engineering & Manufacturing Cluster Manager, stated, “I am thrilled to be on the ground, getting to understand the needs and desires of the engineering community, to fully support their transition and growth into a new era of business opportunities.” By becoming a part of the Southland Engineering & Manufacturing Cluster, there is a team working […]

Choose applications relevant to your needs

From NZ Manufacturer, October 2023 -Adam Sharman, Senior Partner, dsifer As organisations look to embrace the benefits of digitisation through automation, IoT and AI, a trend is emerging that embraces the growing availability, specificity and cost effectiveness of a plug-and-play approach to developing an IT and data architecture. Advances in functionality, connectivity and speed to deployment have resulted in the ability to pick and choose applications that are relevant to the specific requirements of the organisation’s industry, operations and environment at a time when the vast majority of IT professionals report significant time waste due to bloated, generic applications. Whilst this trend towards a plug-and-play system architecture has multiple benefits, it requires careful consideration of the underpinning data architecture to ensure that, not only are data privacy and sovereignty maintained but that the data generated by the plug-and-play ecosystem is collected and utilised as a performance and strategic asset. In our interactions with manufacturing businesses in New Zealand and the UK, we are seeing the importance of establishing an independent, centralised data architecture as an enterprise asset to support the plug-and-play IT architecture, receiving data feeds from the operational systems, and using a combination of these source datasets to create meaningful and actionable insights. There is still much debate on the relative benefits of physical centralisation (data lakehouse) versus a virtually centralised (data mesh). In our experience, both have their place depending on the organisation’s context. However, the key characteristic of the data architecture that supports a plug-and-play IT approach are that the data assets, architecture and governance are independent of the IT applications, data siloes are removed to support integrated enterprise insight and access points are decoupled to accelerate collaboration whilst maintaining data integrity. Organisations who have adopted this approach report multiple benefits, including: Enhanced Data Governance and […]

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