Having just returned from Korea, where I attended the most recent meeting of the Global Federation of Competitive Councils (GFCC), I have some top tips to share with you - on competitiveness, innovation and on doing business in Korea too. These are all in my report.

The theme of the GFCC meeting was talent driven innovation. It was interesting to hear from the UK Ambassador about how the £36 billion a year generated by the creative industries is worth more than the financial sector in the UK, where the focus now is on 8 “great technologies”.

See my report here.

Catherine Beard
027 463 3212 or cbeard@businessnz.org.nz

The latest BNZ - BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index showed that New Zealand’s manufacturing sector recorded its 11th consecutive month in expansion as activity in the sector rose during October. More...

Massey University is developing a new engineering course and is keen to get manufacturers’ feedback to check that it is meeting employers’ needs and turning out graduates ready to meet the market.

If your company:

• has fewer than 20 employees and generally finds it difficult to employ engineering specialists (i.e. mechanical, electronics, etc.), relying on external capability to provide this specialist expertise and knowledge
• is a larger company that has a significant pool of internal engineering specialists that need complementary management capability to direct and integrate small to medium projects
• is looking for a technical yet entrepreneurial injection into your business

please help us get this course hitting the right notes for everyone by answering a few questions...More...

In the run up to the next election, what message would you like to get through to Government that would help you succeed in overseas markets?

Investing 10 minutes of your time will help us to help you when talking to decision makers. Plus you can go into the draw to win a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1” 16GB Wi-Fi Tablet.

Just click here to fill out our survey

Many thanks. I look forward to hearing your views.

C Beard

An interesting article from Michael Pascoe about reshoring - which is on the increase in likes of likes of Tennessee. It uses the example of a company listed in Australia, incorporated in Bermuda, headquartered in Hong Kong, manufacturing in China but now about to make footwear in the USA to show the changing nature of globalisation and manufacturing.

"It also says something about the nature of the United States these days and of manufacturing itself as it becomes ever more high-tech and less labour intensive.

"As Chinese labour isn't so cheap any more, American labour is readily available and not as comparatively expensive as it used to be, there is generous state government "support" on offer and there are benefits in being closer to the end customer. More...

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Position Paper for the Safe Use of Machinery is now available on its website.

This document sets out the Ministry’s position on the application of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act) and Regulations for the safe use of machinery.

See the position paper here.

Got a great energy story to tell? If you’ve got a remarkable, trailblazing or just downright successful project, the EECA Awards 2014 is your chance to shine.

Entries are now open for the 2014 Awards – highlighting projects of excellence in energy efficiency or renewable energy.

There’s a category for all sectors: Transport, Large Business, Small to Medium Business, Public Sector, Renewable Energy, Innovation, Community, Energy Management, and the Energy Leadership award for individuals. More...

The first ever Buy NZ Made People’s Choice Awards, in association with TSB Bank, were a resounding success at SKYCITY Auckland recently. Whittaker's chocolate was the star of the night, winning in four out of the five product categories:

•         Most Iconic NZ Made Product/Brand
•         Most Innovative NZ Made Product
•         Best New Product
•         Most loved New Zealand Made Product.

EasiYo’s Yoghurt Sachets took out the fifth award, for the Best NZ Product on the World Stage (Export).

Run in conjunction with the 25 year anniversary of the Buy NZ Made Campaign, the People’s Choice Awards were initiated with the aim of celebrating NZ product excellence and showcasing the range and quality of products made locally. More...

Back by popular demand in 2014 is EMEX - New Zealand’s key B2B Engineering, Machinery & Electronics sales & marketing platform. EMEX provides the opportunity to showcase new & innovative products and techniques to over 3500 industry professionals. 

It will bring together industry buyers, suppliers & educators to share ideas and develop business relationships. More...

Did you know we have a directory of contract manufacturers listed on our website? Its aim is to allow businesses to find contract manufacturers who may be able to assist them with a particular project.

If you are interested in being listed in our directory, or would like to browse it, click here.

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