14 Nov 2017  -  Join CADPRO Systems Ltd & Global Survey technical specialist NEXT WEDNESDAY to see why the #BLK360

14 Nov 2017  - Port Taranaki is proud to be working with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) to host an open day on the HMNZS Endeavour this Sunday (19 November).  The public open day would undoubtedly be a highlight of the Endeavour’s final visit to her home port, Port Taranaki chief executive Guy Roper said.

“Port Taranaki has had a long association with the Royal New Zealand Navy and Endeavour, and we are proud to be part of these very special celebrations in the lead-up to the ship’s decommissioning in December,” Mr Roper said.

“While it is sad this will be the last time Endeavour will berth at Port Taranaki, it is also a time to celebrate the unique bond our region has with the Navy and this ship in particular.

“We look forward to our continued close association with the Navy through its decision to make Port Taranaki the home of the newest member of its fleet, HMNZS Aotearoa.”

HMNZS Aotearoa, which will be the largest and most high-tech ship the RNZN has operated, will be in service from 2020.

Public tours of the upper decks of the HMNZS Endeavour will take place between 10am and 4pm on Sunday. Shuttles will take groups from Port Taranaki’s ‘East Gate’, on Ocean View Parade adjacent to the New Plymouth Yacht Club and Ngamotu Beach, to the Endeavour and return, the last shuttle will depart from the East Gate at 3:30pm.

Visitors to the ship will need to wear sensible, covered footwear. If needing assistance due to limited mobility, please let staff on the gate know.

Moturoa School will be on-hand with a fundraising sausage sizzle and the RNZN will have souvenirs available, recognising the decommissioning of the vessel.

| A port Taranaki release  ||  November 14,  2017   |||

7 Nov  -  Sustainable finance and central banking expert Professor Dirk Schoenmaker from the Netherlands is giving a free public lecture at Victoria University of Wellington later this month, as the 2017 Reserve Bank of New Zealand Professorial Fellow in Monetary and Financial Economics.  His lecture, ‘Climate Change and Financial Sustainability’, will examine the global financial implications of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.Keeping global warming below 2°C will require substantial reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions. Professor Schoenmaker will consider a benign scenario where the transition to a low-carbon economy occurs gradually, adjustment costs are manageable and the repricing of carbon assets is not likely to entail systemic risk. In an adverse scenario the transition occurs late and abruptly, affecting systemic risk via various channels. Professor Schoenmaker will consider how policy could aim for enhanced disclosure of the carbon intensity of non-financial firms. The related exposures of financial firms could then be stress-tested under the conditions of an adverse scenario. What: ‘Climate Change and Financial Stability’ Reserve Bank of New Zealand public lectureWhen: Wednesday 15 November 2017, reception from 5.30pm, lecture 6-7pmWhere: Lecture Theatre 2, Rutherford House, 23 Lambton Quay, Victoria University, Pipitea CampusRSVP: email Jay Curtis on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 04-463 5188. Professor Dirk Schoenmaker bioProfessor Schoenmaker is a Professor of Banking and Finance at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and a Senior Fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel. He is also a member of the Advisory Scientific Committee of the European Systemic Risk Board at the European Central Bank, and a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Research. He has published in the areas of central banking, financial supervision and stability, European financial integration and sustainable finance. About the Professorial Fellow in Monetary and Financial EconomicsEach year, Victoria University and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand bring a Professorial Fellow in Monetary and Financial Economics to Wellington to enhance the development of monetary and financial policy in New Zealand by advancing thinking and public debate.

| A Victoria University release  ||  November 7,  2017   |||

6 Nov 2017- The Worldskills New zealand Team won gold and five medallions of excellence at World International Competition hed during October in Abu Dhabi.  Air New Zealand aircraft engineer, Jarrod Wood, won the gold medal in the aircraft maintenance skill competition of the 44th WorldSkills International Competition that was held 15-18 October 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Wood was also awarded Best in Nation, for having the highest marks amongst all Competitors from New Zealand.

Malcolm Harris, CEO of WorldSkills New Zealand, says, “I am thrilled with the performance of the NZITP Skills Team at the recent WorldSkills International competition held in Abu Dhabi Oct 14-18. The team competed in 13 of 51 Skill categories in the competition attended by over 1300 of the world’s finest young skill apprentices.”

He adds that, “A Gold medal won by Jarrod Wood in the Aircraft Maintenance category sealed a very good team performance with another five competitors winning Medallions of Excellence for top scores.”

Wood, for his part, shares his experience on the Competition:“The competition skill of aircraft maintenance was full of professionals. It is a very good reflection of the people in our trade. Everyday was a challenge. But Mike [Naus, the NZ Skill Expert on aircraft maintenance who coached Wood throughout his training] and I took it day by day and that seemed to work well.”  “I was so humbled to be standing on the stage next to Finland and Korea. Winning gold was such a shock. It still hasn’t sunk in yet. But I feel privileged and proud to be bringing back NZ’s second ever gold medal. I’m also proud to have been awarded Best in Nation.”

Wood, nonetheless, stresses, “But the whole NZ Team deserved that award. They’re such amazing professionals in their respective trades, and can all be proud of their performance.”

The five Medallions of Excellence won by the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (NZITP) Skills Team were the following:

• Chabbethai Chia for Electrical Installation;
• Hunter Turner for Plumbing and Heating;
• Nicholas Todd for Cooking;
• Sarah Browning for Graphic Design Technology; and
• Shea Keir for Industrial Mechanic Millwright.

1,300 young people from 59 WorldSkills Member countries and regions showcased their talent across 51 skillscompetitions, between 15-18 October. This was the first time that the WorldSkills Competition has been held in the Middle East and North Africa region. At the Closing Ceremony at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi - with around 10,000 international visitors and a global audience more than 825,000 online - watched Competitors discover who had won coveted gold, silver, and bronze WorldSkills medals.

In addition to the presentation of medals, the Closing Ceremony provided an opportunity to reflect on the success of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the largest WorldSkills Competition to date, which attracted more than 125,000 visitors.

Held in conjunction with the Competition were the WorldSkills Conference 2017 and the first International TVET Youth Forum. These provided a unique opportunity for young professionals, Ministers, and other global policymakers to debate the major issues that the vocational education sector faces.

The Closing Ceremony of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 ended with the handover of the WorldSkills flag to the next hosts, WorldSkills Kazan 2019. The 45th WorldSkills Competition will be held on 29 August – 3 September 2019 in Kazan, Russia.

The WorldSkills International Competition occurs every two years and is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world, reflecting global industry practice. Competitors will represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions in 78 WorldSkills Member countries and regions. They demonstrate technical abilities both individually and collectively to execute specific tasks for which they study and/or perform in their workplace. Skills competitions showcase and inspire world-class excellence in skills and introduce the youth to a variety of skilled career options.

One of the main legacies of the WorldSkills Competitions is to give visibility and importance to professional education, as one of the true tools of socioeconomic transformation.

The Competition also provides leaders in industry, government, and education sectors with the opportunity to exchange information and best practices. New ideas and processes inspire school-aged youth to dedicate themselves to technical and technological careers and towards to a better future.

| A WorldSkillsNZ release  ||  October 24,  2017   |||

3 Nov - The acquisition includes Convene in Auckland, Convene South in Christchurch, Convene Q in Brisbane and the Pacific Area Incentives and Conferences Expo (PAICE). It also covers Convene South East Region (SER), due for launch in 2019.  ProMag Publishing director Stu Freeman says the sale to Convene Group headed by Eastaugh ensures the future of the expo series will be delivered with continued vision and integrity.

“Ally has been with ProMag for over four years and during that time has successfully launched Convene South and Convene Q as well as building on the strengths of the existing shows – PAICE and Convene,’ said Freeman.

The change of ownership officially takes effect on November 17.

“This latest move will allow the events to grow and develop in the future,” said Eastaugh.

“Our first priority is our stakeholders, exhibitors, visitors and suppliers, to discuss new opportunities and ways forward, together.

“Convene Group looks forward to retaining a valuable working relationship with ProMag in the marketplace. There will remain a strong synergy between the two separate companies.”

| A CIM release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

1 Nov:  The East Coast Farming Expo to be held at the Wairoa A&P Society grounds has begun its six-month countdown to showtime reports the Wairoa Star.  The two-day event, which is hosted by the Society will be held on April 11 and 12, next year. Two days of interactive exhibits and seminars will give East Coast and Hawke’s Bay farming communities the opportunity to interact face-to-face with industry innovators and experts.

“If you are an East Coast/Hawke’s Bay farmer looking for the answers to keep your business moving forward, or an agricultural innovator wanting to spread your message, this event is perfect,” said ​​​​​​​event director Dave Martin. The whole point of the expo is about acknowledging the importance of face-to-face interaction when it comes to learning about new technology.

“Farmers on the East Coast miss out a lot so the expo is an opportunity for them to interact directly with specialist industry innovators, but in a more intimate environment and closer to home.

Continue here to read the full article in the Wairoa Star  ||  November 1,  2017   |||

EMO Hannover 2017 theme of “Connecting Systems for Intelligent Production” allowed exhibitors to showcase their smart solutions

The EMO Hannover 2017 theme of “Connecting Systems for Intelligent Production” lived up to expectations from the many exhibitors who were only too willing to show you how they have embraced the concept by implementing Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things (IoT) in their products or future plans.

Many were demonstrating connectivity solutions, data analysis applications and other innovative services, each trying to outdo the other with their novel idea giving a reflection of how they have interpreted the theme and the concept. However, throughout the exhibition the emphasis was on systems capable of interconnecting multiple partners, cloud-based machine monitoring solutions, simulation software, augmented reality for machine maintenance, block chain technology for secure data transfer, new business models and much more.

Prior to the show beginning, EMO’s organisers said they were confident that the show would generate impetus for implementing Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things (IoT) concepts.

“In the machine tool sector we have long since implemented digitalisation,” explains EMO’s General Commissioner and VDMA President, Carl Martin Welcker.

“Digital images, for example, for simulations have likewise been possible for quite a long time now. Under the keyword of Industry 4.0, the task now is to network the entire production operation, and indeed the complete added-value chain.”

He also refers to Industry 4.0 as a mindset: encouraging staff to come up with ideas on how they can put Industry 4.0 into shop-floor practice.

“In a consistently networked manufacturing line, flexible production is possible with optimised sequences, so that even rush orders in small batch sizes can be handled. Complete networking of the entire production line with real-time communication and control will create maximised added value for companies when it implements horizontal communication from receipt of the order all the way through to dispatch. Within the added-value chain, moreover, it’s important to network not only the component suppliers, but also the logistical partners and the customers involved, so as to achieve maximised productivity, flexibility and efficiency. If all this succeeds, this signifies a quantum leap forwards in terms of productivity, and will catapult those who can do it to the leading edge of international competition,” is the succinct verdict of Carl Martin Welcker.

Individual responsesAt EMO, control developers and manufacturers, software companies, tooling companies and machine tool builders demonstrated their individual responses to Industry 4.0 requirements.

“The keynote theme of this year’s EMO Hannover gave us the ideal backdrop against which to present market-ready products for digital manufacturing,” said Christian Thönes, chairman of the executive board of DMG Mori AG, Bielefeld, Germany.

Continue here to read this article from MetalworkingNeews   ||  October 27,  2017   |||

The programme behind a new kind of premium lamb, which has sparked a sensation among chefs in New Zealand and Hong Kong, has won a prestigious innovation award. The Omega Lamb Project, which has developed TE MANA LAMB, won the Innovation in Food and Beverage category at the New Zealand Innovation Awards, which recognises innovation among New Zealand individuals and businesses. TE MANA LAMB has higher levels of polyunsaturated (good) fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which results in an entirely new lamb taste experience with outstanding succulence, tenderness and flavour. Now on the menu of a limited number of exclusive Hong Kong and New Zealand restaurants, it is already commanding a significant premium. It’s also available in the award-winning home delivery food service My Food Bag’s My Gourmet Bag range. Peter Russell, Alliance Group General Manager Marketing, said the win is a rewarding validation for the project. “This is an innovative product resulting from transformational thinking about the end-product, and driven by the vision, commitment and collective expertise of farmers, science and business, supported by Government. “We see it as a reaffirmation of New Zealand as the home of the world’s best lamb. It is also attracting a whole new generation of foodies and entirely new consumer segments and markets that previously weren’t interested in lamb.” The Omega Lamb Project, a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme involving Alliance, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and a group of innovative farmers known as Headwaters, is the culmination of a decade’s research and development. It found that the right combination of genetics, management and feeding can alter the fat profile of lamb and produce animals that are healthy, while delivering a healthier product for consumers. The Omega Lamb Project was also a runner-up in the Innovation excellence in research category and a finalist in:

Innovation in agribusiness & environmentExport innovator of the year The winners were announced on Thursday 19 October at ANZ Viaduct Event Centre, Auckland.

|  A Latitudesc release  ||  October 20,  2017   |||

Rocket Lab has won the supreme accolade at the New Zealand Innovation Awards in Auckland tonight. Rocket Lab, named the Bayer Supreme New Zealand Innovation for 2017, has pioneered a Kiwi space programme, with purpose-built rockets for regular commercial satellite launches. Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck was named most inspiring individual at the NZ Innovation Awards in 2014. To return three years on and receive the biggest honour of the evening is testament to the continued growth and success of Rocket Lab, says New Zealand Innovation Council interim chief executive Craig Cotton. “Rocket Lab plans regular small satellite launches from Mahia Peninsula near Gisborne, opening access to space for many companies around the world. “The Electron launch vehicle utilises 3D printing and ground-breaking technology to deliver satellites into orbit with high frequency. “Rocket Lab can disrupt this small satellite market that can offers crop monitoring, natural disaster prediction, improved weather and maritime reporting, and search and rescue services from space.” More than 700 people passionate about innovation attended the awards in Auckland tonight to celebrate the country’s most innovative organisations and individuals across all industries and specialties. The 22 winners and 14 highly-commended awards were across 12 industry categories and eight business disciplines. “Each year we convene these awards to help recognise and celebrate the amazing stories of innovation, impact, and success from all over Aotearoa. We also aim for the awards to help join the dots within the innovation ecosystem to stimulate further connection, collaboration and creation of opportunities for our entrants, finalists and winners,” Cotton says. Bayer New Zealand managing director Derek Bartlett congratulated all the winners. “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting Kiwi innovation through the awards for the seventh year. The future of New Zealand industries is in good hands with organisations like these leading their respective fields.” For further information contact NZ Innovation Council’s Craig Cotton on 021 714318 or Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188.

| A MakeLemonade release  ||  October 19,  2017   |||

WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 sees young contestants going for gold at the world's biggest vocational skills competition

There are competitions for 51 vocational skills at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 this week. Can one man watch them all?

Entering the main halls at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the task seems daunting. Not for nothing is this known as the world’s largest vocational skills competition.

It fills Adnec and then some. There are competitors as far as the eye can see, and then beyond that, even to the other side of Khaleej Al Arabi. If this is the skills Olympics, attendance is going to be a marathon rather than a sprint.

First up in the main exhibition halls is Industrial Mechanised Millwright, which is something to do with maintaining factory machinery.

We can watch the competitors at their work from the other side of barrier, but may not disturb or talk to them.

Bioa Song Chin from China is not in his enclosure, but Tatsuya Kawozoe from Japan is busy arranging sticky notes on his bench. Clearly there is more to come.

Next up is Welding. The welders live in darkened enclosures in which we peer, eyes protected, while looking for signs of life. Here’s Dylan Bloch from Australia, his face hidden by a welder’s mask, illuminated with the blue glow of his torch. The sparks are starting to fly in welding.

The contestants in Construction Metal Work also live in darkened enclosures, like nocturnal animals. Finland’s Juho Nissinen is carefully marking out his design with a metal ruler, as is Guan You Chen from Taiwan. There’s a lot of drilling and welding involved here, but not at present.

For the Manufacturing Team Challenge, competitors must make a battery powered recovery vehicle with the help of what seems include industrial quantities of Mars Bars.

In Prototype Modelling they use something called a Kunzmann Frasmachine WF 410, which also has a big role in Polymechanics and Automation.

The Kuzmann Frasmachine is particularly handy for “producing and installing parts for production machines” according to the information available.

The gold medal for Polymechanics and Automation looks to be shaping up between China, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Lichtenstein.

Moving on, we find Plastic Die Engineering, where they make stuff to make stuff. Just around the corner is the trio of CNC Turning, CNC Milling and Mechanical Engineering CAD.

The “C” in all these refers to computers and at least one of them involves robots like the demonstration model nearby assembling Rubik’s cubes.

Electronics is reassuringly about wires and flashing lights but Mechatronics sounds more like the character from a Transformers movie, even though it is actually about automated systems.

Turning the corner reveals Mobile Robotics, the first proper spectator sport at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi, with its own mini-grandstand in front of the arena where teams must move robotic vehicles around an obstacle course.

At this early stage in the competition, though, it’s mostly immobile robotics.

Industrial control seems to involve wiring up boxes with a big red “stop” button, while Electrical Installation and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning are exactly as they sound.

In Plumbing and Heating, a vocation which in my home country of Britain you take up because there is not enough money in investment banking, contestants must build a working bathroom. They have four days to finish, as opposed to four months in the UK.

Information Network Cabling involves a lot of wires and is in a dead heat with Freight Forwarding (think DHL v Aramex) as the competition least likely to threaten the Uefa Champions League as a mass spectator sport.

The most delicious part of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi is Baking, with the scent of fresh baked loaves filling the air, and Cooking, where stern-looking judges in towering touques observe those most skilled in competitive sautéing, before the dishes are served by the aspiring champion waiters of Restaurant Services.

In Patisserie and Confectionery, the talk was of the smoothness of the sugar paste and the silkiness of the chocolate ganache.

For Heavy Vehicle Maintenance there are giant road rollers to be fixed and a real Abu Dhabi Police helicopter for Aircraft Maintenance. At Car Painting, the contestants have been given a fleet of black Mercedes (“Not for painting. We’re only allowed to put marking tape on them” explained Tony from New Zealand.)

In an air conditioned tent, 20 young florists laboured on their creations, while nearby, meters of polka dot fabric was laid out for Fashion Technology.

For Hairdressing, contests cut and snip at mannequin heads, but in Beauty Therapy and Health and Social Care, real live volunteers are needed to be smeared with creams and tucked up in bed.

At the farthest flung corner, over the highway and in another tent by the water’s edge, dozens of young bricklayers are going for gold, and the Wall and Floor Tiling contests work on a design that incorporates Etihad Towers and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

Somewhere in between is Concrete Construction,Painting and Decorating, Plastering and Dry Wall, Joinery, Cabinet Making, Jewellery, Autobody Repair, Web Design, 3D Digital Game Design, IT Software Solutions, IT Networking, Print Media Technology, Graphic Design Technology.

And there is nothing quite like the sight of nearly 30 desert gardens, complete with palm trees, being built simultaneously under competitive conditions.

And there you have it; nearly 60 countries and 51 skills, four hours and seven kilometres later. WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017. Someone deserves a medal.

| A TheNational release  ||  October 16,  2017   |||