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Special Report:AI could feed the world’s hungry while sustaining the planet

While the risks posed by AI dominate the headlines, behind the scenes there is a quiet revolution underway as AI systems are used to tackle the greatest challenges facing humanity, from climate change and COVID-19, to world hunger. Improving the food system is critically important to achieving several SDGs, but it is just one of many ways that AI is helping to usher in the more equitable, sustainable world that the SDGs envision. Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world at a rapid and accelerating pace, offering huge potential, but also posing social and economic challenges. Human beings are naturally fearful of machines – this is a constant. Technological advancements tend to outpace cultural shifts. It has taken the shock of a global pandemic to accelerate the uptake of many technologies that have been around for at least a decade. Unsurprisingly, much of the public discussion on AI has focused on recent controversies around facial recognition, automated decision-making and exam algorithms. Job losses due to automation have further underscored the need for AI systems to become better regulated and more ethical. But while the risks posed by AI have dominated the headlines, behind the scenes there is a quiet revolution underway as a new crop of startups are developing AI systems to tackle the greatest challenges facing humanity, from climate change to Covid-19. A new cohort of purpose-driven innovators has entered the AI space, and ‘AI for Good’ is emerging as one of the most powerful tools to achieve the SDGs and improve lives and livelihoods worldwide. The agricultural sector employs over 25% of the world’s working population and is responsible for sustaining 7.5 billion people. Despite decades of efforts by governments and industry, more than a quarter of those people – a staggering 1.9 billion – remain moderately or severely […]

The power of traceability for food and medical manufacturers

– Reinaldo Silva, Head of Digital Manufacturing and Automation at Facteon As food and medical manufacturers face stringent regulations, an ability to trace the movement of raw materials and finished product both within your facility and beyond is demanded throughout industry by manufacturers of all sizes. A variety of forces have highlighted the need for food and medical manufacturers to gain greater traceability of both raw materials and finished products within their facility and beyond. Risk One: Increasingly Globalised Supply Chains As it becomes more cost-effective and simpler to source raw materials from suppliers across the globe, manufacturers are relying on increasingly globalised supply chains. While this brings a range of benefits, such as proximity to raw materials, cost competitiveness and improved quality of raw materials, there are significant risks as the supply chain becomes increasingly complex. As a result, traceability requirements expand significantly. Simplistic supply chain approaches that focus on “one step back and one step forward” traceability become increasingly complicated and impractical when manufacturers are drawing on a globalised supply chain. Risk Two: Product Recalls Tyson Foods famously recalled 39,000 pounds of frozen chicken patties which were potentially contaminated with foreign matter in mid-2019. From business interruption and eroded profit margins to long-term damage to your brand, a product recall has the potential to harm consumers and cost manufacturers dearly. Research has also found that a mere 21% of food recalls across USA, UK and Ireland were detected by the manufacturer. In fact, regulatory bodies discovered 68% during routine or spot testing. This highlights the potential competitive advantage that can be unlocked by manufacturers taking a proactive approach to both raw material and product traceability. Medical device manufacturers are also at risk of product recalls. Research has found that a significant challenge for medical manufacturers in the event of a product recall is tracing each […]

ISO invests in world-first innovation to transform port logistics supply chain

Tauranga-headquartered port logistics company ISO Limited, continues its investment in world-leading technology to transform the safety and efficiency of its port logistics supply chain, with the addition of four mobile harbour cranes at its operation in Mount Maunganui for use on the Mount Maunganui Wharfs. ISO commissioned the Liebherr mobile harbour cranes, a world-first in terms of size and capacity, to deliver enhanced safety for handling of all types of cargo including logs, and to increase handling cycles, lift capacity and vessel turnarounds. The German-manufactured mobile harbour cranes arrived into Te Awanui, Tauranga harbour, on an ISO-chartered heavy-lift vessel Rolldock Sun, after travelling 12,000 nautical miles over 37 sailing days from Rostock via the Panama Canal. Paul Cameron, CEO of ISO says the company is committed to continue applying world-leading innovation to its business and to deliver competitive excellence in supply chain transparency for its customers. “We’re creating a new future in a traditional industry by applying robotics, automation and IT, to minimise exposure to hazards and move our people into more skilled roles. We’re on a mission to enhance safety, improve efficiency and productivity, and radically improve the supply chain for our customers. “It’s very exciting to add mobile harbour cranes to our port logistics operation. The technology is not only safer, it allows us to load and unload vessels without the use of ships cranes – allowing us to handle cargo for a wider range of vessels. The introduction of the cranes is part of a wider technology innovation initiative which has seen us introduce Robotic Scaling Machines for scaling logs, and sophisticated IT solutions to our operations in recent years.” ISO Limited has grown to be one of New Zealand’s largest nationwide waterfront cargo logistics companies, providing cargo logistics services throughout New Zealand operating out of: Marsden […]

Filtration face off: Melt-blown fibres versus electrospun nanofibres

New research into the effectiveness of melt-blown fibres and electrospun nanofibres has found nanofibre filter media provides significantly increased protection against bacteria and viruses such as Covid-19. The research, conducted by Dr Fabrice Karabulut from Revolution Fibres in New Zealand, contrasts and compares nanofibre filtration with traditional melt blown filters in light of increased global demand for PPE and the future need for more effective face masks. Dr Karabulut says melt blowing, a commercially successful and low-cost process for producing filtration microfibres, produces fibres with diameters in the range of 1-10 micrometres. “The structure of a melt-blown filter is like a non-uniform fishing net. Its pores are 1-3 micrometres in diameter which are much larger than bacteria and viruses which are just 0.1 micrometres.” He says the diameters of nanofibre range from 10 – 300 nanometres, which is 10 – 100 times smaller than conventional melt-blown microfibres, meaning they are very effective in protecting against viruses such as COVID, bacteria and other toxic particles. “Electrospun nanofibre is characterised by a very large surface area and small pore diameter which significantly increases the probability of particles in the smaller, submicron and nanometre range depositing on the fibre surface – thereby improving filter efficiency.” Increased breathability and reusable Dr Karabulut’s research is contained in the White Paper Melt-Blown Fibres vs. Electrospun Nanofibres as Filtration Media which outlines the differences between nanofibre filtration capability and melt-blown filtration. As well as increased filtration performance, he also found the breathability and reusable nature of nanofibre made it superior to melt-blown filtration. “The current pandemic has amplified the need for masks to be reusable but retain effectiveness,” he says. “A recent study testing the reusability of melt-blown and nanofibre filters when cleaned with ethanol showed melt-blown filters were only effective for single use due to the […]

Seven things for business

Business needs seven key things from the next Government, according to BusinessNZ’s election manifesto. A Business View for the 2020 Election outlines businesses’ medium-term needs and desires, based on a survey- of over a thousand businesses across New Zealand. The manifesto shows businesses are focused on succeeding in the economic conditions arising from Covid and on building a strong new economy: 1. Focus on the economy: businesses say economic well-being should be NZ’s priority right now. 2. Plan for reopening the border: they want to see the border opened safely as soon as possible. 3. Build infrastructure: most want to see the next Government spending on significant infrastructure to boost economic recovery. 4. Manage resources better: businesses want better systems for the allocation, care, and development of natural resources to allow for growth. 5. Cut regulation: Government needs to reduce unnecessary regulation on small businesses. 6. Build skills: businesses are seeking highly developed skills and want to see more apprenticeships and technical training for tomorrow’s workforce. 7. Stay ambitious for sustainability: businesses know customers want appropriate environmental standards and view them as necessary to future-proof business. Chief Executive Kirk Hope said the manifesto gives a snapshot of how business is reacting to the current uncertain environment and where they want the focus of the new Government to be. “Clearly, businesses are concerned to see rapid economic recovery from the Covid situation. “They want the Government that takes power next month to have a strong focus on economic growth and wellbeing, and to regulate in a way that lets business help deliver it.” The BusinessNZ election manifesto is here on www.businessnz.org.nz -The Deloitte and Chapman Tripp BusinessNZ Election Survey canvassed the opinions of 1,193 businesses of all sizes in all parts of New Zealand during June 2020.

Collaboration and sector support builds sustainable supply chains

-Helen Down, Chief Executive, Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce The local manufacturing sector continues to play a critical role in ensuring New Zealand has resilient and sustainable supply chains. The Covid-19 operating environment has caused significant uncertainty and disruptions to the global supply of product and goods, and opened up new opportunities for local manufacturing to re-examine and refocus networks and flows, and create new connections across the sector to stabilise supply chain reliability. Without a doubt, if well supported by government policy, the manufacturing sector will play a key role in the long-term Covid-19 economic recovery, including with job creation. “When products and services are scarce, it is often harder for a small country like New Zealand to compete in terms of buying power on the world stage. Overseas suppliers often favour markets with higher demand.” Helen Down said. The disruption of the global pandemic exposed gaps, but also opened up opportunities. “The Chamber has seen a spike in enquiries coming in for new product development from companies who would otherwise have imported product from overseas with the disruption to shipping and air freight.” The Chamber is now actively promoting and supporting opportunities for greater collaboration in the manufacturing sector, as well as continuing conversations with government to seek greater support. “It will be important to be smart about manufacturing those things that are going to be harder to get due to Covid-19, and as a manufacturing sector, work together to create domestic manufacturing capability. “Many manufacturers have demonstrated their ability to adapt very quickly, refocus skills and resources, and scale up as needed, or create in-demand products quickly. “This can include identifying products we haven’t previously, or are not currently manufacturing, but where there is likely to be a high demand such as health products, masks, and ventilators,” […]

What is World Class?

By Ian Walsh, Managing Director, Intent Group What do we mean by world class? Over the last few years, I have facilitated business sessions on productivity with business leaders, based on this fundamental question. What I have found interesting is the majority of them don’t know what world class is. They believe it is something to aspire to, that is probably unachievable, but they can’t actually define what it is. Of course, it is different if you ask them what isn’t world class, or to describe the last world class experience they had. If you were to ask them to list examples of companies they would consider to be world class, I’m certain that a range of great restaurants, Air New Zealand, Apple and others, would populate these lists. World class is not about perfection, but rather beating or outperforming your competition in the important things that your customers care about and are willing to pay for. Why do people buy Toyotas? They are reliable (quality) and people pay more for them because of this. Toyota has figured out how to make cars cheaper and more reliable than anyone else by focusing on delivering this value. For perspective, Toyota identifies over one million improvements per year, or over six per employee, and over 90% of those improvements are implemented. How do you compare? Unfortunately, over the last 10 years, when posed the question whether they have asked their own customers why they choose them or what they value, 90% of SME’s responded that they did not know! Almost none of them have segmented their customers to figure out what the different customer segments value. As a result, they have misaligned systems and processes and are failing to deliver value as efficiently and productively as possible. Consider the value proposition of […]

Southern regions to become collaborative industrial powerhouse

Can Southland and Otago’s manufacturing engineering sector be the fastest growing and most competitive of its kind in New Zealand? Despite the challenges being thrown at the sector, the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) believes it can. SOREC has launched its capability mapping project to establish these two regions as an elite collective of engineers and manufacturers who are able to execute projects across numerous industries and fields. SOREC was established by industry for industry, to ensure the sustainability of engineering in Southland and Otago. It is an incubator for industry to work together by growing and sharing the pie. As New Zealand cautiously claws its way to recovery post-Covid-19, it’s the country’s regions that can feel the greatest impact. However, those regions also have significant potential to drive economic recovery. SOREC has a plan to help build on that potential, and now that plan is being put into action. During the next few months, the organisation will be conducting research and surveying the manufacturing engineering sector in the two regions, to create a comprehensive matrix of all the businesses that fall into this industry and mapping their capabilities. SOREC general manager Ceri Macleod said this would create a database of skills and a prospectus of sorts for Southland and Otago. “This will effectively show potential clients what we can do, how vast our breadth of knowledge and skills are, and the value we offer in working collectively,” she said. “It’s going to give the southern region the ability to put forward compelling business cases for large manufacturing engineering contracts, in sectors such as defence, transport, infrastructure and high-tech production by working collaboratively.” If international and national contracts could be filled from the south, then the growth of the industry would mean more jobs, greater investment in new technology, […]

Setting the pace: Starting a step change in construction performance

By Stephanie Pretorius, Senior Consultant, Intent Group Lean in construction is still well behind manufacturing in terms of uptake in New Zealand. There are some key factors affecting the pace of change, including lack of an industry standard for ‘what good looks like’. Construction has just begun to realise the potential benefit that comes from a focus on continuous improvement to processes, maximising customer value and improving throughput. How can construction pick up the pace and make sustained progress towards performance improvement? Construction is a collaborative industry that has a number of recognised issues. A joint initiative between Government and Industry was started last year in an effort to address known issues and kick-start closing the gap towards better performance. The 2019 Construction Accord sent a clear signal that sector transformation is needed over a three-year span with improved performance being the goal. Downer’s Transport Services Northern business is an excellent example showcasing ways to actively realise the intent of the Accord. One of the objectives of the Accord is to lift performance through better business management practices. Downer started an improvement journey in 2017 that was aimed at introducing better practice and creating a stable foundation for continuous improvement (CI). Their culture was transformed over the last three years as the business pursued CI with dedication and commitment. While it is still the beginning of their journey, they have made remarkable progress due to strong leadership and wide team engagement towards the new direction. The initial driver for the business was a step change in culture with a focus on continuous improvement to better protect intellectual property across core processes within the business. Setting an intention to be significantly different in three years, the Northern Leadership team embarked on a transformation journey. The goal was to develop the capability […]

Post-Covid-19 construction crunch – From survive to thrive

-Stephanie Pretorius, Intent Group New Zealand’s construction industry has been heavily disrupted since the arrival of Covid-19 to our shores. A relief package is now available, with the New Zealand Government investing heavily in the industry to the tune of $3B. Funded infrastructure projects include a significant amount of ‘shovel ready’ projects identified to support the short-term pipeline over the next 12 months. Despite extra funding, certain segments of construction are likely to still be negatively impacted. As an example, Auckland alone recently lost $500m from Council revenue budgets; the flow on effects are still to be determined. The funding pipeline may be affected for multiple years and there is risk of misalignment of capacity as funding may swing between years. The intent of the fast tracked ‘shovel ready’ projects is to quickly stabilise cashflow, as well as the pipeline for the industry, and to help construction survive in the short term. But how can we take this further and help construction to thrive in the long term? As a sector, construction has been ‘sailing close to the wind’ for a long time with tight margins and low productivity. The Construction Accord (Accord) has set the tone for the future, outlining goals for improved productivity, capability and resilience. Now is the time for industry players to take ownership of the direction for their own long-term sustainability. If improving productivity is an Accord goal – who will be the first to take bold action? Staking a claim to become excellent at what you do, and getting better every day, is going to pay dividends in terms of preferred supplier status, higher profitability, people retention and development, and ultimately long term survival. Many construction businesses took away lessons learnt from their Covid-19 experience as the ability to respond and adapt to trying […]

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