Recent News

New book an insight into NZ businesses

BusinessNZ is welcoming a new reference book that offers an insight into the New Zealand business scene. 100% Kiwi Business: 9 Kiwi Success Navigators is authored by Executive Director of the Buy NZ Made Campaign Ryan Jennings, and has been written for those growing their business or starting a new one. It contains interviews with 100 business owners and CEOs across a range of industries. “BusinessNZ is committed to New Zealand’s success through advocating for thousands of businesses across New Zealand,” says Chief Executive Kirk Hope. “The businesses in this book are representative of our broad membership, from those just beginning their journey to others at the pinnacle of their success. “The lessons and learnings in this book will be of relevance and benefit across the entire business ecosystem and, I hope, provide encouragement. Successful business helps to make New Zealanders better off. “ The book, which was a two-year labour of love for Mr Jennings, reveals two very Kiwi traits – creativity and pragmatism. “Kiwis are wired to give things a go purely due to where we are situated in the world,” says Mr Jennings. “We’re a long way from where the hubs are, which requires us to be creative. It’s something we’re great at and which the rest of the world values. “The focus of this book is on businesspeople who are currently on their journey, rather than being a retrospective study of business success. There are a lot of conversations about where NZ is heading, but Kiwi business owners are just getting on and doing it.” The book identifies nine success navigators, ranging from exiting the business – always begin with the end in mind, says Mr Jennings – to creating and capturing value. And it contains two further revelations. “The first is around failure, which […]

Old world thinking wont deliver high growth economy

EMA is asking the coalition Government MPs to explain how the old world thinking of the proposed Employment Relations Amendment Bill will deliver the productive, high growth economy they say they want. Via an advertising campaign using outdoor billboards, press and digital advertising it is asking Government MPs to “Please Fix the Bill”, at the same time encouraging its members to ask the same of the coalition Government. This is a national campaign involving all four members of the BusinessNZ family (EMA, Business Central, Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce, Otago Southland Employers Association). “We wholeheartedly agree with the Government’s goal of developing a modern, nimble and high performing economy, however we would like to understand how labour laws of yesteryear will enable this to happen,” says Kim Campbell, CEO, EMA. “We are deeply concerned that what is being proposed in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill 2018, plus a raft of other related legislation in the pipeline, is old thinking for a modern world. “New Zealand First MPs have the chance to modify parts of this legislation and work with small business to deliver an industrial relations framework that will help them grow their enterprises. “Let’s be clear. We are not against reform. But we are against poorly drafted legislation that has been cobbled together in a hurried manner. What we want is for the Government to pause, consider what the impacts of these changes could be, have an honest conversation around how placing more compulsion into the workplace will drive a modern, nimble economy and reflect on how we can work on this together in a constructive manner. “The Future of Work Forum has yet to convene. And this is the proper forum to nut out the answers to many of the above questions. Therefore it seems out of kilter […]

Women in Engineering

Sulo Shanmuganathan, Technical Director, Holmes Consulting LP, New Zealand. Why do you do what you do and do you enjoy it? As a Technical Director at Holmes, I do many things ranging from meeting with our customers and understanding their priorities for solving infrastructure challenges, to helping colleagues develop technical solutions for some of these challenging infrastructure problems. In between the two, I do a lot of tasks to deliver our projects effectively and efficiently. What I do might be a small contribution towards improving our living standards and enhancing the infrastructure that would serve for present and future generations. Of course, I enjoy every single bit of my work otherwise I would not be doing what I do for the last 30 years. When I began my career in engineering the big and challenging projects lured me. As I grew older and became a bit wiser, I realised that even a small contribution has a huge impact collectively. I started to appreciate the human values and team dynamics to achieve the best for the project and ultimately for communities to which the infrastructure serves. The job I do now is more about how we can work collectively with other disciplines and professionals to bring about enhancements to our existing infrastructure and improving living standards. Greatest challenges? Personally, I like to convert my challenges into great opportunities for learning and growth. I was born in Sri Lanka and spent the first 25 years on the beautiful island of the Indian Ocean. So, when I first went to “Bonnie” Scotland, the biggest challenge was the communications with the Scots, who have big hearts, warmth, and great hospitality. It did not take long to settle down and learn Scottish (I mean English). Jokes aside, living in a foreign country can be […]

Microplastics: Small plastics, big problem

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, or a tablet. They are everywhere. But before you blame plastic water bottles and candy wrappers solely for climate change or marine plastic pollution, think again. It turns out, as with many other relationships, sometimes it’s the small things that create the biggest impacts. And in this case, it’s the plastics that we don’t see, the microplastics, that are about to damage the world we are living in. We have to wake up, before it’s too late. It’s not just ‘small’ stuff… The United Nation’s Environmental Programme (UNEP) identified microplastics as one of the alarming issues that we should keep an eye on as plastic pollution remains the biggest threat to marine biodiversity today. But are we already many years too late? Based on current rates of plastic pollution, the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. Microplastics, whilst tiny, pack a big punch. They have been around for more than five decades as microbeads and microfibres ranging in size from 0.5 to 5mm in length. And we have unknowingly let them into our homes and closets, as they have replaced the natural ingredients of our personal care products, and cosmetics such as toothpaste, facial and body scrubs, and have been manufactured into some of the clothes we love to wear. However, it’s not actually the products that directly harm us, but rather what happens to them after they go down the drain. These synthetic […]

Epson launches N6 compact 6-Axis robot and hollow force sensor

Epson has launched the new N6 compact 6-axis (vertically articulated) industrial robot and the SH250LH, a new force sensor with a hollow design. Epson’s N series of compact 6-axis robots perform tasks in tight spaces more efficiently than other robots because of a uniquely engineered “folding” arm. The N6 has a longer arm (1,000 mm) and can handle higher payloads (6 kg) than Epson’s previously released N2 and is ideal for loading/unloading small electronic products and automotive parts into/from test equipment. It is also perfect for shelving/unshelving medical products and much more and has a smaller installation footprint than earlier 6-axis robots and can reach a wider range of places, from the top shelf to the bottom. These features increase productivity and the efficiency with which factory space is used. N6 Features 1. The unique arm structure and arm length give the N6 a small installation footprint while allowing it to reach high places. Taking advantage of the N series’ folding arm design and a long (1,000 mm) arm, the N6 can access locations that are higher than those that can be reached by the N2 and by Epson’s 900-mm class 6-axis robots (the C4L and C8L). Users can exploit these features by laying out factory shelves and equipment vertically instead of horizontally to enable the N6 to use previously wasted vertical space. Installation space (blue section) reduced by 75% Even with an arm length of 1,000 mm, the N6 can reach objects at the same height as the C8XL, Epson’s 1,400-mm class 6-axis robot. Moreover, because the N6 can be installed closer to shelves and equipment than a 1,400-mm arm, the installation space can be reduced*2 by about 75%. In addition to installing the N6 in narrow spaces and inside equipment where robots previously would not fit, users have […]

How to have a good Fourth Industrial Revolution

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, and invited volunteers to stay in her home. Then she tried to anticipate and respond to their needs – like making a bowl of popcorn when she guessed they were hungry—instead of just responding to commands like Alexa does. Get-Lauren touches on common anxieties, starting with the questions of what humans can offer that machines cannot, and what control each of us has over our future and even who we are. “By allowing these devices in, we outsource the formation of our identity to a virtual assistant whose values are programmed by a small, homogenous group of developers,” McCarthy wrote. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in new technologies that are changing where and how many of us work, what we buy and how we buy it, what we learn and what we delegate to our devices, and how we connect with each other. It’s easy for even tech-savvy individuals to feel that we are helpless in face of these tectonic shifts. What can a single person do? What power does anyone have amid massive social and economic changes? What is within our control and how do we adapt to what is out of our hands? Simply asking those questions is a good start toward managing technology instead of letting it control us. Seeking to understand the changes underway helps us to feel that we are doing something instead of facing complete uncertainty. Assessing how we use technology in the workplace, home, and community helps […]

Old thinking for modern world, Government please explain

NZ economy – risky business

The BusinessNZ Planning Forecast for the June 2018 quarter shows that though many key economic indicators remain on the positive side of the ledger, there are a number of risks that could undermine what is currently a generally healthy outlook. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says the economy is forecast to grow at around 3 percent out to June 2020, but there are risks to achieving this. Both domestic and international, these are combining to keep business confidence in the doldrums. “Policy uncertainty and some ad hoc changes are likely to be driving this continuing nervousness,” Mr Hope says. “These include the political, rather than economic, rationale for effectively banning the issuance of future offshore oil and gas exploration licences. “The jury is still out on whether the range of Taskforce and Working Groups set up will provide consistent policy outcomes that promote increased business competitiveness. “And though the agricultural sector is enjoying higher lamb and dairy prices on the back of improved global demand, the outbreak of mycoplasma bovis will affect productivity.” Internationally, growth forecasts remain solid. However higher inflationary pressures are resulting in rising interest rates, affecting the cost of capital. For equity markets, the potential for a significant market correction cannot be ruled out. Concern remains over the potential escalation of international trade retaliation with more inward-looking international agendas, particularly triggered by moves from the US to increase tariffs on certain products, imposing trade barriers on international trade. The BusinessNZ Economic Conditions Index sits at 9 for the June 2018 quarter, up 2 on the previous quarter and down 5 on a year ago. The Index tracks 33 economic indicators including GDP, export volumes, commodity prices, inflation, debt, and business and consumer confidence. The BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) and its sister survey, the […]

New innovations improving primary industry

Day two of the 50th New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays kicked off with the Innovations Awards breakfast where a selection of New Zealand’s top innovations were on display, all with creative ideas on improving New Zealand’s agricultural industry. New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation spoke of the importance of innovations at the National Agricultural Fieldays. “One of the main reasons the New Zealand agricultural industry is so recognised and respected around the world is because of the innovations coming from awards like these. The people here today are shaping the future of farming and will be making major changes in in the industry in another 12months.” Says Nation. The entrants were supported by a group of knowledgeable and insightful sponsors who have provided advice around law, research, networking, engineering, technology and science. Judges spoke of how the winners were successful at picking good problems to solve and being very creative in the way they solve them. Innovations that were easy to use, cost-effective, efficient and enhanced value came away with top honours. The 2018 Innovation Award winners are: Fieldays Grassroots Prototype Award – Acuris Systems This prototype robot, autonomously navigates kiwifruit orchards while capturing highly accurate fruit data. This data is then analysed to provide growers with quality information and insights to their orchards performance. Fieldays Grassroots Established Award – Pamu Farming New Zealand Landcorp has just completed its second season of deer milking in partnership with the Peter and Sharon McIntyre. Significant, world first research and intellectual property has been developed from behind the farm gate through to a finished RMP approved product which Pāmu Foods can now use to assess market demand and price tolerance. Fieldays Prototype Highly Commended – Maraeroa C Incorporation. Ginseng Berry Gin is a New Zealand first made from ginseng berries grown in […]

Cluster theory fails to take hold in NZ manufacturing

Twenty-seven years after the Porter Project recommended New Zealand should pursue a “clusters” strategy to develop its manufacturing base, a government study of the manufacturing sector has found there are “few economically significant manufacturing clusters in New Zealand”. Without mentioning the government’s commercialisation accelerator agency, Callaghan Innovation, by name, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s New Zealand Manufacturing Sector Report suggests that “new institutions may need to be established, or existing institutions modified”. Callaghan is expected to see funding cuts for direct grants to companies seeking research and development assistance in the May Budget, as the government moves to introduce a new R&D tax credits system. Economic Development Minister David Parker launched the report, the first such overview of the sector by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment since it began publishing sector reports in 2013 under the previous government, in Auckland this afternoon. The report notes poor productivity persists in the sector and the long lead times required for new, higher value industries to emerge and appears to suggest changes are required to existing policy settings and government agencies to help deliver better results. “The development of a new industry typically follows an ‘S’ curve, similar to the stages a new technology goes through as it diffuses through society,” the report says. “There is usually a long gestation period – perhaps 10-20 years – while the skills and capability needed to succeed are learned and acquired by: firms; investors and service providers; and the education and government sectors. “New institutions may need to be established or existing institutions modified.” The government is also conducting reviews and reforms of the education system, including initiatives to improve the financial stability and quality of skills training through the country’s polytechnics. The manufacturing sector is a disproportionately large employer of tradespeople, […]

«‹ 50 51 52 53 ›»

News Ticker

Recent News