Getting under the hood of Kiwi manufacturing
By EMA Manufacturing Programme Manager Sheenal Jokhan Industry 4.0 is reshaping the manufacturing landscape, offering New Zealand businesses tangible gains in efficiency, productivity and innovation. Yet despite its potential, some manufacturers remain cautious about adopting these technologies over concerns such as return on investment, workforce readiness, and a lack of […]
Artisan skill and technology a successful brew at Zealong Tea Estates
With 48 hectares of certified organic Camellia sinensis growing in the heart of the Waikato, Zealong Tea Estate is New Zealand’s only commercial tea estate. You can tour the estate and sculpture walk, sample a high tea at their Tea Room, have a luxurious French-inspired meal at their Camellia […]
Cutting red tape to encourage productivity
A visit to Glenbrook Steel Mill By Chris Penk, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Among the many things I’ve come to appreciate in this job is just how challenging it can be to run a small business in New Zealand’s regulatory maze – no matter the industry. In […]
Dispatches from Europe: Manufacturing crossroads across UK, France, Germany
A guide for New Zealand’s manufacturing leaders Adam Sharman, CEO LMAC Group APAC Having recently spent time on the ground with our team in Europe, it has been interesting to reflect on the common trends and differing approaches to industry support across Europe. Whilst different countries face some of their […]
Make your emissions reporting easier with spend-based emission factors
Getting started with your carbon footprint doesn’t have to be complicated. Manufacturers across New Zealand are already sitting on one of the most powerful tools for understanding their emissions: their financial data. Spend-based emission factors turn dollars spent into practical emissions estimates, providing you with a fast, accessible way to […]
Innovation Stalled
Why the Crown Research Shake-Up is at least a 2-Year Setback In a year where New Zealand’s productivity crisis is finally getting some airtime, the government has managed to stall one of our most important levers for change: innovation. The Crown Research Institute (CRI) reforms were supposed to turbocharge commercialisation […]
Company Profile: South Waikato Precision Engineering
Fiona Schroeder, General Manager How are you finding current business conditions? Business has been tough over the last 12 months, across the board, our customers have been “down” and experiencing lower demand. However, it would seem there are some green shoots which will hopefully mean that we have hit the […]
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. […]
Construction 4.0 Technologies
Opportunities and Scalability for Aotearoa New Zealand’s Construction Industry By Dr. Troy Coyle, CEO, HERA Introduction The construction industry is undergoing a major transformation thanks to new digital technologies, a shift often called Construction 4.0. Inspired by the smart technologies that revolutionised manufacturing, these innovations are now changing how buildings […]
Editorial, August NZManufacturer magazine -When will we hold an Economic Reform Roundtable?
We don’t have a Productivity Commission and we don’t have Callaghan Innovation anymore. No time to be sentimental but, who would run an Economic Reform Roundtable – like the one being held in Canberra this week, with a focus on Productivity? Because we badly need one. We have the determination […]
AI is peeling back the layers of ‘low-value’ work
Kenny Ching, Senior Lecturer, Business School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau As generative artificial intelligence (AI) advances at breakneck speed, it is upending assumptions about which jobs are “safe” from automation. Disruption now extends well beyond manual or routine work into white-collar roles once considered untouchable. Tools such as […]
Kiwi exporters can plan and adapt now we have some tariff certainty
By EMA Head of Membership & Export Simon Devoy New Zealand exporters were dealt a tough blow at the start of August as the United States confirmed an unexpected increase in tariffs on our goods, from a widely predicted 10% to 15%. It appeared the New Zealand government and our […]
New Zealand is poor because it chooses to be
-Sean Doherty Sir Paul Callaghan famously declared: “New Zealand is poor because it chooses to be.” Nearly 15 years on, with the decision to dissolve Callaghan Innovation the agency bearing his name, these words ring truer than ever in 2025. At this turning point, New Zealand must decide: Will we finally address the innovation deficit by embracing high-value manufacturing, or continue on a path of slow, incremental change? The productivity trap New Zealanders are admired for their work ethic and creativity. Yet, the nation continues to lag behind its global peers in productivity and prosperity. The key reason? An overreliance on low-value, commodity-driven industries rather than advancing technology-rich, high-value sectors. Despite technological progress worldwide, New Zealand’s per-capita prosperity growth has not matched high-value, knowledge-led economies over the past two decades. International comparisons Israel, Singapore, and Ireland are cited as examples of nations that have transformed through purposeful investment in advanced research, tech-enabled manufacturing, and robust support for innovation and entrepreneurship. These countries consistently invest in science, technology, and high-value manufacturing, creating dynamic economies with sustained prosperity. The power of innovation Sir Paul Callaghan stressed that true prosperity can only be achieved by focusing national efforts on innovation-intensive sectors. Efforts to “pick winners” in areas like biotech, agritech, and clean tech have delivered mixed results, highlighting that the most transformative advances come from empowering New Zealanders to innovatively solve challenges and seize opportunities—often in surprising, unscripted ways. “Prosperity doesn’t grow from following the script of what other Governments are doing; it emerges from innovators taking risks and building new niches.” Time for a new roadmap The closure of Callaghan Innovation and changes to science agencies will achieve little unless policy, business, and scientific leadership rally behind a new, bolder strategy. This pivotal moment calls for action: Backing High-Tech manufacturing Shift from […]