How an elite athlete system could unlock new levels of productivity in NZ manufacturing
-Mark Devlin, Impact PR New Zealand’s manufacturers have long punched above their weight. Despite our relatively small domestic market and geographic isolation, Kiwi businesses have found ways to innovate, adapt, and produce world-class products. But there’s one area where we continue to fall behind global benchmarks, and that is workforce […]
Kiwi garage start up one of largest dual market export operations
Set for $115m expansion in China A Kiwi company that began as a West Auckland garage start-up nearly three decades ago has grown into one of NZ’s largest dual-market export operations, and is set for further expansion with the construction of a new $115m biotech manufacturing facility in China underway. […]
Carbon claims: Get the language right and the facts straight
-thinkstep-anz If you’re sharing your organisation’s carbon footprint, net zero goals or carbon neutral status, it’s vital to communicate clearly and accurately. Getting it wrong could damage your reputation, open you up to legal risk or erode trust with your customers and stakeholders. Strong carbon claims can show leadership, but […]
Building the Foundation: Preparing Your Manufacturing Business for AI Success
-Adam Sharman, CEO LMAC Group APAC The manufacturing sector stands at the precipice of an AI revolution that promises to transform everything from production efficiency to supply chain management. Yet for many business leaders, the question isn’t whether to adopt AI, but how to prepare their organisations to extract maximum […]
Leadership From the Top
How Government Must Reflect What It Asks of Business Stop Pointing Fingers, Start Holding Mirrors If you’re a business leader in New Zealand, you’ve likely heard it all before: “Lift your productivity, innovate faster, create higher-wage jobs, be more sustainable, upskill your workforce. David Altena is Head of Growth & […]
Blending artistry with automation for strategic advantage
-Scott Adams, Argon & Co Manufacturing companies in New Zealand are most often owned, managed, and operated by engineers and therefore they often lack artistry, passion, and flair. I readily, and happily, accept there are exceptions to this statement, but for every exception there are 10 more that focus on […]
Adoption of smart practises by manufacturers across New Zealand
New Zealand’s manufacturing sector has stepped firmly into the fourth industrial revolution, with a 10.5 percent increase in the use of advanced manufacturing technologies since 2023, as shown in the final Industry 4.0 Insights Survey by Callaghan Innovation. The Industry 4.0 programme was launched to build awareness and educate New […]
The Canterbury engineering business with trained staff who never want to leave
Training at the heart of exporter’s success story An unwavering commitment to upskilling its people has helped keep tool maker Sutton Tools (NZ) out in front despite a string of setbacks including an earthquake, a pandemic, and in 2022, a fire that gutted their Kaiapoi factory. Now though, the future […]
Living in an apartment, near the railway line
On a business trip, I travelled on the Tokaido Shinkansen Bullet Train between Tokyo and Nagoya and, was taken by the number of apartments along the side of the track, at Bullet Train speed. And they all had one thing in common on their balcony: a dog kennel, a satellite […]
Engineering the future: What we’re seeing from the front line
By James Richardson, Commercial Manager, Caliber Design At Caliber, we work alongside some of New Zealand’s most innovative engineering businesses. With over 60 mechanical engineers seconded into client teams across the country, we get a front-row seat to the future—watching it take shape in factories, labs, and workshops up and […]
Industry 4.0 for SME manufacturers
Article 4 – from a series of 5 – From June issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz -Frank Phillips, Director, Fulcrum Article 4: The Significance of Systems in Industry 4.0 and Automation Welcome to the next part of our Industry 4.0 series for SME manufacturer. We’re exploring various companies that can […]
LCA: A powerful tool for change
In the early days of sustainability, we were often driven by a desire to “save the polar bears” or protect rainforests. Today, business leaders are asking a different question. It’s no longer “Is this the right thing to do?” but “Is this worth the investment?” The answer is yes, and […]
Smart manufacturing and the UK government’s industrial strategy
In the following article from the UK there is some good learning to be had for NZ Manufacturers, and if they are listening, Government (MBIE particularly Small Business & Manufacturing), and other key stakeholders on the importance of a solid strategic approach to achieve higher levels of productivity using technology. The UK’s Industrial Strategy, that was released this year, is focused on Advanced Manufacturing with a significant growth target to be achieved with significant investment in the sector growing from the current business investment of £21bn to £39bn in 2035. Clearly not the sort of investment we could compete with in NZ but does demonstrate that investing in Smart Manufacturing is worthwhile for economic prosperity. Within the article are a series of logical steps that can be applied to any industry sector to prepare for and use technology to be a smarter manufacturer. The article is written by James Watson, Parter with Argon & Co, along with Rachel Noll, Manager of Data/AI at IRIS. Smart manufacturing and the UK government’s industrial strategy With a fresh 10-year blueprint for economic growth, the UK’s Industrial Strategy puts advanced manufacturing at the heart of its ambitions. James Watson and Rachel Noll at Argon & Co explore how smarter use of data, automation, and robotics can help manufacturers unlock productivity, resilience and long-term growth The UK Government’s newly launched Industrial Strategy was long in the making, but has arrived with bold ambitions. Its 10-year roadmap for economic growth has a firm bet on advanced manufacturing as one of the eight high-potential industries in the UK, along with sectors like financial services, clean energy, and life sciences. For many operating in this sector, this support couldn’t have arrived soon enough. Manufacturing has been pushed from disruption to disruption, hampered by inflation, persistent labour shortages, and […]