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HERA sets the scene for heavy engineering’s future with digital ‘Home for the tribe’ and Fab4.0lab

Heavy engineering research association HERA is at the forefront of the innovation march in an era of change. At its AGM on 19 May, HERA announced key initiatives designed to propel the industry forward as members focus on support for digital capability, transformation and innovation: the MetalMind app and the Fab4.0Lab for testing, implementation and research. The MetalMind app is the digital home for HERA’s training services and all things heavy engineering. It is a platform where HERA will grow and engage its tribe of metal heads and where people can share open and transparent innovation. HERA CEO Troy Coyle says, “MetalMind is our proprietary private social platform to connect with members exclusively, hold open and important conversations about steel industry issues, gather feedback, solve problems, and give people maximum value. “The big driver for developing MetalMind was our Innovation READY programme, which has been completely digitised including 10 podcast sessions with supporting content, along with the Lean Startup four-week course. “Over time members will be given early access to training materials and tutoring preparation ahead of welding certification examinations. “The people on the platform will be new to our industry right through to the most experienced, a truly diverse group who all have something to gain from engagement. “Users are onboarded into main channels and then given the information and services they need around innovation, training, education and the foundry, a newsfeed which drives conversation and delivers targeted and curated information to the industry. There will be verticals of content and services that users will progress through.” HERA Fab4.0Lab (named for the Fourth Industry Revolution, or Industry 4.0 as applied to fabrication) is a laboratory space based at HERA House in Auckland where fabricators can test concepts, new product ideas and iterations on specialist machinery that may not otherwise […]

Nanofibre manufacturer rebrands on back of expansion

Leading New Zealand nanofibre manufacturer, Revolution Fibres, has rebranded to NanoLayr to reflect its transformation into a Deep Tech Manufacturer and a global leader in high-performance functional textiles. Founded in 2009, the Auckland-based company proved itself as a pioneer of advanced nanofibre technology using its proprietary sonic electrospinning process to manufacture nanofibre products, including filter media for N95 and N99 face masks and collagen skincare product ActivLayr. CEO Ray Connor (pictured) says the change to NanoLayr sets a platform for future innovation and the continued manufacture of nanofibre solutions that provide a competitive edge for its customers as well as benefiting society. “An increasing number of industries are embracing what nanofibre can do to make products better and stronger, to maximise performance, and establish that competitive advantage. “NanoLayr’s proprietary sonic electrospinning technology can lead the world in the production of nanofibre. Our focus is to maximise the potential of our platform technology in a way that we can make a positive impact on the lives of as many people as possible.” The rebrand follows a 12-month period where the company underwent significant expansion. It moved into a new factory over 20 times the size of its old facility and upscaled to meet global demand for nanofibre solutions across a wide range of sectors, including filter media, skincare, and sound insulation for the construction and furniture industries. “The new factory quadruples our capacity and strengthens our capability to manufacture quality functional nanofibre textiles on a vast scale to meet ongoing international and local demand,” says Connor. NanoLayr’s new 5,500m2 facility is home to five customised sonic electrospinning machines that manufacture nanofibre rolls thousands of metres long for export to markets such as Asia, Australia, and the US. The company’s new factory has significant capacity for future growth. “A single kilogram of […]

National framework provides diversity and inclusion standard for workplaces

The launch of a national framework to assess levels of workplace diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will give New Zealand organisations an understanding of their current capabilities, identify areas for improvement and provide the information they need to create a roadmap for transformation. “This evidence-based framework was developed for the unique diversity and inclusion dynamics faced in workplaces in Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit. The Aotearoa Inclusivity Matrix measures the maturity of DEI practices across seven components: leadership, diversity infrastructure, diverse recruitment, inclusive career development, bi-culturism, inclusive collaboration and social impact. “These seven components are the foundations of a strategic approach to creating an inclusive workplace culture, which is key to tackling inequity head-on and unlocking the social and economic benefits of diversity,” Smit says. “One of the most common questions we are asked about workplace inclusion is, what does good look like?” “The AIM framework sets that out very clearly and simply.” Organisations can analyse where they sit across five levels, from starter to advanced, in each of the seven components. Diversity Works New Zealand is developing tools to assess individual organisations against the framework. These will be ready to use in the last quarter of 2021. “In time, the aggregated anonymous data will allow us to provide benchmarks by industry and organisation size so employers can assess the maturity of their DEI journey against similar workplaces,” says Smit. Benefits for workplaces Engaging with the Aotearoa Inclusivity Matrix allows organisations to: Understand what good looks like when it comes to workplace diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) Benchmark the maturity of their DEI journey against other organisations in their sector or workplaces with similar characteristics (size, location etc) Identify and analyse gaps in current practices Create a pathway to shift the organisation through […]

City growth plans leave NZ’s manufacturing sectors in the cold

Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce calls for better consideration of commercial and industrial growth as part of city regional spatial planning in the next 30 years. The Hutt Valley is one of the largest manufacturing and technology engine rooms in New Zealand. The region has earned its name as ‘Technology Valley’ for being a hi-tech, innovative, and creative thinking hub. Boasting over four times the number of scientists, researchers, and technologists, per capita, when compared to the rest of New Zealand, the Hutt Valley is an incubator for innovative hi tech start-ups and advanced manufacturing. With a strong research and development community, motivated venture capital companies, a network of support agencies, including the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, Crown Research Institutes and the city councils, the region has become a desirable place to run a business, particularly for owner-operators in the manufacturing and technology sector. As many cities and regions throughout the country experience rapid growth, it is imperative the manufacturing and technology sector is seriously considered when spatial planning for the future. Helen Down, Chief Executive of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce said smart forward thinking spatial planning supports economic growth. “For example, one of the biggest challenges facing the region is a scarcity of quality commercial and industrial buildings with good earthquake ratings, as well as Greenfield and Brownfield sites which enable businesses to build to specific requirements.” High-tech company, Times7, specialises in the design and manufacture of specialised radio frequency identification antennas, known as RAIN (UHF) RFID. From their base in Alicetown, Lower Hutt, Times7 exports all over the world. It is a well-established brand in the global radio frequency identification market. The company recently consolidated their manufacturing back onshore in their Lower Hutt facility after also manufacturing in the United States over the last four […]

Women on a mission

By Femi Perumbally, thinkstep-anz Every woman in engineering and manufacturing has her own unique experience to share. To understand the role and experiences of women working in this area, ways of moving forward, and the benefits of diverse workplaces, we talked to some of the best sources we have: our female engineers at thinkstep-anz. Nicole Sullivan, Gaya Gamage, and Vi Kie Soo are three engineers from varied backgrounds who are applying their knowledge and experience to further sustainability efforts in New Zealand and Australia with thinkstep-anz. Women in engineering have struggled with many issues over the years, from unsuitable working conditions and unfair compensation, to limited recognition for achievements, and unequal advancement opportunities. Although women still face many of the same issues to a smaller degree, this is slowly changing over time, as mirrored by the experiences of our female employees. Nicole, Gaya, and Vi Kie have a combined experience in academia and industry, and in areas spanning civil, environmental, electrical, process, and chemical engineering. We look at their diverse experiences in occupying male-dominated careers and the sustainability glue connecting their narratives. Standing out in a sea of hard-hats Nicole joined thinkstep-anz in late 2020 as Head of Strategy and Impact, adding sustainability consulting to an already impressive list of roles. With a degree in Chemical Engineering and 18 years of process engineering experience, Nicole understands manufacturing at what she calls the ‘hard-hat level’. She also understands the experience of being the only woman in a hard-hat, having been in such a situation many times and in many contexts. Being the only woman among hundreds of people while working in environmental management on one of the biggest projects at BlueScope took this experience to another level. For Senior Sustainability Specialist Gaya, working with clients such as NZ Steel and Tasman […]

Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce - Chief Executive Leeann Watson

Business “largely overlooked” in Budget

Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber) Chief Executive Leeann Watson says today’s Budget 2021 announcement has largely overlooked the role of business in the country’s economic recovery. Finance Minister Grant Robertson outlined his fourth Budget today, which focused on the three pillars of child poverty, affordable housing and climate change. Ms Watson says: “Rather than taking a balanced approach within this Budget on societal issues and the economic recovery and rebuild, it feels like the Government has taken an either/or approach. In order to focus on some of the significant issues we face in New Zealand, such as around child poverty, affordable housing and of course climate change, we need to have a strong economy, which is underpinned by our business community. So it is disappointing that the role of businesses have been largely overlooked in this Budget. “The Government has said that it is committed to tackling the foundational challenges in our economy and society, but where is the recognition of the role of business in supporting this? We need businesses and jobs to secure the livelihoods and welfare of our community.” Ms Watson says it was positive to see the final stage of investment for a new South Island Mechanical Maintenance Hub to be built at Waltham in Christchurch. “This Hub will create around 300 jobs through its construction, which is significant for the city, and will be a great asset for the region moving forward. It was also positive to see funding for a $306 million redevelopment of Scott Base, which will support up to 700 jobs over the six-year timeframe for the work and enable us to leverage our Antarctic connection, and most importantly, ensure our presence in Antarctica is safeguarded.” Included in the Budget was an investment over the next two year of $44 […]

NZ overdue for an open and honest debate about 21st-century trade relations

By Jane Kelsey, Professor of Law, University of Auckland. With more countries considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), New Zealand urgently needs a real public debate on the future of such trade and investment agreements. In February this year the UK formally applied to join as part of its quest for post-Brexit free trade agreements. Reportedly, Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and even China are to varying degrees considering membership. Coverage of these developments is often overly simplistic, treating expansion as a notch in the belt for those who see the CPTPP as shaping the 21st century’s global trade rules. Behind the headlines, the reality is more complex. Given the CPTPP restricts governments’ ability to regulate their own economies in return for notional benefits, it warrants closer scrutiny from all sides. But the secrecy surrounding possible new memberships makes scrutiny difficult, just as it earlier hindered independent assessments of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and subsequent CPTPP negotiations. Blueprint for a neoliberal trade agenda The original TPPA was always intended as a blueprint for future trade relations across the Asia-Pacific region (with the now-abandoned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership proposing similar rules for US-EU trade). New Zealand was primarily committed to the TPPA as an opportunity to secure a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, regardless of the costs. Despite vociferous public protest against its potential to erode national sovereignty, which forced discussion out of the shadows, the National government signed the TPPA anyway. The Labour, New Zealand First and Green parties all opposed its ratification in the select committee, as did Māori in the Waitangi Tribunal. National ignored them again, ratifying the text in May 2017. Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key after signing the Trans Pacific Partnership in Auckland in 2016. GettyImages […]

No positive outcomes from FPA proposal

The EMA says there will be no positive outcomes from the Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) proposal for businesses. Chief Executive Brett O’Riley says the effects of the proposal to Cabinet today on FPAs to standardise conditions across industries or occupations will make them less flexible, less resilient and ultimately less productive. The EMA is also concerned that only unions can initiate bargaining for an FPA in the proposal, which does not allow for voluntary negotiation and arbitration, which is currently a breach of international law. This has repeatedly been raised with the Government in the lead-up to this announcement. Mr O’Riley (pictured) says FPAs are equally disadvantageous to everyone – employers and employees – and will not achieve the highly-skilled, innovative workforce and economy with well-paid jobs that is needed. “Given there is no evidence that FPAs will increase productivity or reduce inequality – which have in fact both improved since company-level bargaining became permitted in 1991 – where are the benefits and why is the Government looking at this beyond copying what has happened unsuccessfully in Australia?” “Essentially, this would take us back to the past when we had industrial awards which saw workers’ share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decline and more inequality in income than we have now. This is not the way to create a high performing competitive economy,” Mr O’Riley says. The EMA has no anecdotal evidence from its 7400 member businesses that employers are cutting down their costs to get contracts by paying people less, except where Government procurement has forced this outcome in areas like the provision of bus services. “Our concern is that FPAs will result in higher wages, and the solution for businesses will be to cut down their workforce, or in the case of already struggling manufacturers and SMEs, they […]

New appointments to KiwiNet board

Zoe Murphy Vignesh Kumar KiwiNet has appointed Vignesh Kumar to its board of directors as an additional independent board member. KiwiNet has also appointed Zoe Murphy as a board observer, a newly implemented role designed to foster capability and diversity within New Zealand’s research commercialisation governance and leadership. The Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet) is a group of 18 universities, Crown Research Institutes, an Independent Research Organisation and a Crown Entity working together to transform scientific discoveries into new products and services. Together, KiwiNet members represent a total combined research expenditure of over $800 million and 80% of the publicly funded researchers in New Zealand. Engineering and technology professional Vignesh Kumar has over 12 years of experience in global technology design, manufacturing, and operations strategy across North America, East Asia, and the Asia Pacific. Before returning to New Zealand in mid-2018, he worked for Apple Inc. at its US headquarters as one of its Lead Enclosure Hardware Managers, actively sourcing and scaling science and engineering anchored innovations centred on improving the engineering and manufacturability of Apple’s consumer products. Prior experiences included business development at BHL Group in Papua New Guinea and product design in neonatal respiratory support at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Vignesh earned an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as a Wharton and Kaiser Fellow and a Fulbright Science and Innovation Scholar, and a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Master of Engineering Studies (Hons) in Medical Device Design and Technologies from the University of Auckland. Vignesh is deeply involved in the local early-stage ecosystem. He also sits on the Return on Science investment committees and is an active venture investor in hardware-enabled software, deep tech, and health technology companies, via his role as a Partner at venture capital firm Global from […]

Outset, NZ’s largest deep tech hub gets new name

New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing hub for deep tech startups is getting a new name, with LevelTwo becoming Outset Ventures. CEO Imche Fourie (pictured) says the new name reflects the evolution of Outset Ventures into the country’s largest company incubating and investing in early stage ventures founded on science and engineering breakthroughs addressing global challenges. “We’ve grown beyond being a shared space on the second floor of a building to a place where entrepreneurs can grow their groundbreaking science and engineering innovations with us ‘from the outset’,” says Ms Fourie. “The new name speaks to our commitment to grow New Zealand’s flourishing deep tech entrepreneurial community, where founders can find support to fuel their global ambitions of curing diseases, slowing climate change, reversing pollution; and producing sustainable foods, fuels and space flights.” Previously the birthplace of Rocket Lab, LanzaTech and Mint Innovation, which once all resided on ‘level two’ within the Outset Ventures building, the company now houses commercial laboratory and workshop facilities, a six-month pre-incubation ‘Launch Lab’ programme, and a $10 million deep tech fund raised with Icehouse Ventures that will back 20-30 ventures over the next three years. Outset Ventures welcomed the third startup into its new Launch Lab programme last month; Dennisson Technologies, which has also received investment from the deep tech fund. The company is developing a soft, clothing-like exosuit as a low-cost, lightweight alternative to traditional medical devices used to help people unable to move their limbs without assistance. “We are thrilled at the massive support from Outset Ventures,” says CEO of Dennisson Technologies Anvil Bañez, who founded the wearable technology company last year with the aim of helping people like his father, who suffered from the effects of Polio, walk again. “The funding, Launch Lab programme, and new connections we are […]

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