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Winery control technology originating from VinWizard in New Zealand is currently installed at 160 wineries worldwide. It has now been recognised by industry leaders in the United States of America for innovation at the prestigious Innovation + Quality Napa Valley forum.

The INNOVATION + QUALITY event is an annual forum for ultra-premium wineries focused on cutting-edge innovations that advance wine quality. Each year products are hand selected by the INNOVATION + QUALITY Advisory Board and Wine Business Monthly team solely on criteria of innovation that lends itself to high-quality, ultra-premium winemaking. This year VinWizard Managing Director David Gill received the INNOVATION + QUALITY 2018 award for the company’s Multi-Level-Probe with American distribution partner Tom Beard Company in attendance.

Source: Scoop

Scott Technology has entered a conditional agreement to buy Transbotics, a US-based automated guided vehicle manufacturer. No price was disclosed.

The deal will add 30 staff to the 700 it has globally. The effective completion date is expected to be June 1. The deal is subject to conditions, including Transbotics shareholder approval.

Source: Scoop

Longroad Energy, a renewable energy project developer jointly owned by Infratil and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, has funding in place to build a US$300 million wind project in Texas and is evaluating the long-term ownership options of the project.

Earlier last week Boston-based Longroad said it had closed financing for the 237.6 megawatt Rio Bravo wind farm project in Starr County, Texas. Longroad, which is 45 percent owned by Infratil, 45 percent owned by the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and 10 percent owned by management, is investing approximately US$100 million as sponsor and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy is providing the balance of the permanent financing.

Source: Scoop

ArcActive from New Zealand and East Penn Manufacturing Co. from the United States have signed a commercial arrangement covering the further development of ArcActive’s extremely innovative carbon fibre electrode technology for lead batteries.

Stuart McKenzie, managing director of ArcActive, says the deal involves supplying carbon fibre products to East Penn Manufacturing (EPM) so it can manufacture lead batteries that include ArcActive’s electrodes.

Source: ArcActive

Cigna Corp, the New York Stock Exchange-listed health services company, has agreed to acquire ANZ Bank New Zealand's OnePath Life NZ business for $700 million.

The firm has been an insurance partner to ANZ NZ for 20 years and under the deal announced today it will continue to sell insurance products to ANZ bank customers under a 20-year strategic alliance, it said in a statement.

Source:  Scoop

What began as a hobby has transformed into a successful career. "The next step for us is international expansion" said Jordan Rondel, aka The Caker, adding "we're focusing on California specifically".

The New Zealander is planning to take to the U.S.A. her line of baking kits and potentially some fresh cakes in the next five years.

Source: NZ Herald

Aquafortus Technologies has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Texas-based PetroH20 Recovery. The deal, valued at USD $40 million for the initial three years and over USD $25 million yearly beyond, is to deploy Aquafortus’ patented zero liquid discharge technology in the U.S. oil & gas market.

Aquafortus specialises in taking wastewater with high levels of salinity and through its patented zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology separating the brines into dry mineral salts and clean water.

Source: Scoop

PROJECTR®, home of VR in New Zealand, and Pure Storage Inc, Headquartered in Mountain View California, today announced a partnership to power PROJECTR’s artificial intelligence and virtual reality research programmes.

PROJECTR® has recently added two expert resident teams with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, broadening access to allow more multidisciplinary engagement between these new technologies.

Source: Scoop

Air New Zealand will launch a new non-stop service between Auckland and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from November this year.

The new service deepens the alliance between Air New Zealand and United Airlines.  In addition to the new route announcement, United has announced it will extend its seasonal service between Auckland and San Francisco to year-round from April 2019.

From November 30, 2018, Air New Zealand will operate the new route three times weekly, year-round with its new configuration Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.  Flight time will be approximately 15 hours northbound and just over 16 hours southbound.

Chicago is an exciting destination with a lot to offer from its incredible history, museums and architecture to world-renowned jazz music and famous dishes including the iconic deep dish pizza. 

 “By adding Chicago to the Air New Zealand route network, and with United’s increased service between San Francisco and Auckland, we are proud to offer our customers more ways to get between the United States and New Zealand and more connection opportunities in those cities than any other airline in the world,” said United’s International Network Vice President Patrick Quayle. “Today’s announcements are great examples of the customer benefits that result from the strong, strategic alliance and partnership between United Airlines and Air New Zealand.” 

Beginning with the Northern Summer 2019 season, United will extend its service between Auckland and its West Coast hub in San Francisco to year-round, introducing a three times weekly service, complementing Air New Zealand’s existing daily year-round service on the route.  United’s service will be operated by its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft featuring United Polaris business class service between November and March and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft between April and October. United operates more than 290 daily flights from San Francisco to 79 airports across the US and 26 international destinations.

Since Air New Zealand and United commenced their alliance in 2016, the joint venture has opened up more travel options for New Zealand and US travellers than ever before.  Overall passenger volumes have grown and more than 30 percent of customers travelling to the US connect to United’s broad domestic network from its hubs in Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Air New Zealand’s new flights to Chicago and United’s expanded Auckland – San Francisco service are on sale today at airnewzealand.co.nz and from Saturday 31 March (NZ time) at united.com.

The new Auckland – Chicago Northern Winter 2018 schedule from 30 November 2018 is as follows:

Flights will arrive into and depart from Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

The above timings are subject to approvals.

Ends

Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.

Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods has today formally launched the Innovative Partnership programme which aims to attract future-focused international innovators and firms to undertake R&D and develop their products in New Zealand.

“This Government is committed to developing New Zealand as a hub for high-value, knowledge intensive businesses that create value through innovation and R&D,” said Woods.

“The Innovative Partnerships programme, which is led by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, engages with innovative companies that are pushing the boundaries of technology and solving the world’s big problems, and promotes the compelling advantages of working in New Zealand.

“These companies are then connected with the right people, businesses, agencies, research organisations and universities, as well as supported through navigating central and local governments,” says Woods.

The official launch of the programme comes after American innovator Kitty Hawk Corporation, operating in New Zealand as Zephyr Airworks, credited Innovative

Partnerships as part of the reason it is testing its revolutionary air taxi technology in New Zealand.

“International innovators are finding our unique expertise, resources and talent, together with our size and location, offer surprising advantages when it comes to turning ideas into reality.

“Zephyr Airworks’ presence in New Zealand will build capability in our own science system - partially in areas like software engineering, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, composite material, and aviation design.

“New Zealand has a long history of innovation and being at the front of change. Our future is still being imagined and we are determined to play an active role in shaping it for the better through new ideas, new innovations, and new ways of looking at the world,” said Woods.

The Innovative Partnerships programme is run by small team of experts dedicated to helping R&D players connect, collaborate and innovate in New Zealand.

While the programme is led by MBIE, multiple agencies across local and central governments work together to support and facilitate the elements that influence a decision to undertake R&D in New Zealand. More information on the programme is available on MBIE’s website.

Source: www.beehive.govt.nz