Do we do enough to honour manufacturing pioneers?
What began in 1998 as a small garage start-up in West Auckland is now one of New Zealand’s largest dual-market export operations From a West Auckland garage start-up to a $225m global biotech expansion, Professor Yihuai Gao’s journey shows how manufacturing innovation can transform New Zealand’s economy if only we celebrate and support the people behind it. NZ Manufacturer business advisor and director of public relations agency Impact PR Mark Devlin, says Gao’s success highlights the need for New Zealand to broaden its definition of innovation beyond agriculture and technology start-ups. When New Zealand talks about innovation, the spotlight too often shines on technology start-ups, film, or agriculture. Yet the nation’s manufacturing success stories are equally compelling and frequently overlooked. The recent recognition of Professor Yihuai Gao by Massey University is a timely reminder of the people driving breakthroughs behind the scenes of our manufacturing economy. A life in science and manufacturing Earlier this month, Massey University honoured Professor Yihuai Gao for a two-decade scientific collaboration centred on medicinal mushrooms. Gao, founder of nutraceutical manufacturer Alpha Group, has built a bridge between science, manufacturing, and international commerce. What began in 1998 as a small garage start-up in West Auckland is now one of New Zealand’s largest dual-market export operations. Alpha Group operates a biotech manufacturing facility in Manukau alongside a growing international footprint. Its nutraceuticals, built on validated bioactives from fungi and plants, are distributed to markets across Asia and beyond. This is not just a research story. It is a manufacturing story. Turning fungi science into certified health products that meet stringent global standards requires advanced processing, regulatory expertise, and scale. Alpha Group exemplifies the type of high-value manufacturing New Zealand needs more of, yet the name of its founder is unfamiliar to many outside the sector. From […]