Missed our high-tech manufacturing conference The Fourth Revolution during Techweek'18? You can catch up on everything that happened on the webcast thanks to Callaghan Innovation here...
Perception vs. Reality in High Tech Manufacturing
Keynote speaker David Chuter, CE of the Innovative Manufacturing CRC, Melbourne
What does high tech manufacturing in New Zealand look like? In 2018 the answer is rapidly evolving, but one thing is for certain: it’s not a production line in a dark and dingy factory. As traditional modes of mass-manufacturing have moved overseas, New Zealand’s industry has adapted to become a sophisticated niche player in specialist manufacturing. In this myth-busting session, key note speaker David Chuter took everything we knew to be true of high-tech manufacturing and turned it on its head.
Session presentation
How to be globally competitive from the other side of the world
How helpful is the Kiwi “No.8 wire” trope in a time of unprecedented technological change? In this panel discussion, you’ll meet the innovative New Zealand high tech manufacturers that have seized upon global industry pressures as opportunities to create thriving businesses. Whether they’ve worked out how to manufacture something no one else in the world can, or – thanks to clever high tech solutions – can do it faster than anyone else, they’re proof that it’s possible to retain a competitive edge in a tough global climate.
Steal my job
A new era in manufacturing demands a workforce with a more diverse set of skills than ever. In this session, three people working in a new category of design roles in high tech manufacturing shared what they do for a day job, and how they got there. The session also explored methods for attracting creative talent for design engineering.
Breakout Session
How to use the art of storytelling to connect with your global customers. In this session, attendees learned how being of New Zealand (as opposed to ‘from New Zealand’) can play a powerful role in building and creating meaningful relationships with customers and distributors. This hands-on workshop was presented by NZ Story to help businesses engage with customers through storytelling, and by infusing the values and characteristics that make us the ingenious Kiwis we are.
Register today for free marketing resources
The NZ Story website gives you free access to images, infographics, how to guides and market insights. Simply register at NZ Story today.
Promote your country of origin with the FernMark
For any business exporting offshore, we recommend you review the FernMark Licence Programme which offers you the opportunity to carry the trademark silver fern, the FernMark, to authenticate your country of origin and build trust with consumers around the world.
For more information please contact the NZ Story Group Team.
Introducing Revolution Fibres
Revolution Fibres is a world-leader in a nanofibre production process they call "sonic electrospinning". Their nanofibre has a multitude of applications, including one product, Xantulayer, which strengthens carbon composites and another, Activlayer, a water soluble, collagen-based fibre that carries skincare ingredients directly to the skin. In this session, founder and managing director Iain Hosie and his team shared their story, and showcased the latest applications of their product.
Future of Manufacturing
Keynote speaker Professor Olaf Diegel
Seismic shifts are coming to high tech manufacturing, and the prospect of jobs lost as automation approaches has governments and people working in manufacturing nervous. But are they right to be scared? What exactly does the fourth revolution in manufacturing mean for the workforce? What does the economy stand to gain? Offering a glimpse into the future is Professor Olaf Diegel, a professor of product development at Lund University, Sweden, and expert in industrial consumer design and 3D printing. He presents the good and the bad news for high tech manufacturing, laying out some of the educational challenges that lay ahead.