Archive for the ‘Archive’ is_category>

If you have not yet attended one of the scheduled workshops, there is still an opportunity to provide input directly to Taskforce representatives. There are still some seats available at our events on 26 August in Hamilton, 29 August in Lincoln and 2 September in Tauranga. 

Since last month’s newsletter, Agritech New Zealand and Callaghan Innovation have co-hosted a post-USA delegation workshop for our leading agri robotic and automation researchers.  We have identified some major commercial opportunities in North America with our partners, Western Growers. Leveraging these requires collaboration across our research sector and a further workshop is scheduled next month to progress these opportunities.

Yesterday, we co-hosted a workshop for the large delegation of New Zealand agritech companies heading to Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) next month. Unlike the USA visit which was largely horticulture and crop focused, the delegation to Europe will be largely dairy tech-based. Highlights of the visit include participation in the UK Dairy Day event and the Irish Ploughing Championships in Carlow. With 300,000 people expected to attend, this is one event that we do not want to miss.

At home, Agritech New Zealand is also preparing for a major expansion of its activity. Over the past few months, we have been talking to the Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) to identify opportunities to collaborate and partner. Three members of the PAANZ board have been invited to join the Agritech New Zealand Executive Council as we progress these discussions. Adoption of agritech on New Zealand farms and orchards is a key driver to increase productivity, profitability and sustainability. Building one voice for the wider agritech sector can only help further drive it.

These activities would not be possible without the support of our members. Agritech New Zealand is a membership organisation and it’s the membership fees that make all this activity possible.

Agritech New Zealand’s Executive Council is currently developing a set of actions and priorities to further increase membership benefits. If you are not already a member and want to participate in some of the exciting events that are coming up, please visit our online Membership Application.

2019 has seen a significant ramping up of activity as agritech takes centre stage in Government thinking and strategy. Agritech New Zealand is at the forefront of this action as we provide the key interface with industry and the wider agritech sector.

I very much hope you can join us on this journey.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

View our agritech story!

Influence NZ’s agritech strategy

NEWS

Have you joined Scale-Up New Zealand yet?  It’s free!

• the formal preview of the New Zealand Agritech story, Powered by Place.  View it here. 
• the establishment of a new agritech venture fund, bringing international connected capital into New Zealand
• the successful delivery of the Agritech Unleashed event at National Fieldays
• the creation of deeper ties with Western Growers, the largest producers of fresh produce in North America, following a major New Zealand agritech delegation visit to California at the end of June.

However, the most significant news of the past few weeks was Minister David Parker’s announcement on 2 July of a new sector led approach to grow industry innovation and boost productivity, with an early focus on agritech.  You can download the strategy document here.

Previously, I have written about the establishment of the All of Government (AOG) agritech taskforce. This is bringing together several Ministries and government agencies to work on an agreed set of initiatives and actions. They include Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), Callaghan Innovation and New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF).  Agritech New Zealand is partnering with this AOG taskforce to develop a range of industry led initiatives designed to scale the sector, lift export earnings and provide more innovation to enable New Zealand farmers and growers to produce higher value product, sustainably.

In the coming weeks, Agritech New Zealand and the AOG taskforce are organising a series of regional workshops to gain industry feedback and input on the strategy document.  This is your opportunity to help develop a major platform to make New Zealand a significant global agritech hub and we want you to attend!

The first four venues and dates have been confirmed, so please reserve your free seat.  Join the Agritech Strategy Consultation Workshop on 2 August in Palmerston North, 8 August in Auckland, 26 August in Hamilton, 29 August in Lincoln and 2 September in Tauranga.

I will join the AOG agritech taskforce lead, David Downs and together we will facilitate the workshops. Following the workshops, we will report back to all participants with the conclusions and outcomes.  This content will lead to the creation of a set of initiatives and actions which both industry and Government will support.

These developments are not going unnoticed offshore. I am in regular contact with global partners who are looking to collaborate with New Zealand agritech researchers and businesses. Minister Parker’s formal release of the strategy document has set in train a number of opportunities for the country’s agritech community.  At Agritech New Zealand, we are delighted to be taking the industry lead to turn that opportunity into deliverable activity.

David and I look forward to meeting you at one of the upcoming workshops.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

NEWS

Have you joined Scale-Up New Zealand yet?  It’s free!

Agritech New Zealand is proud to be the first ‘Country Partner’ of the Farm2050 ecosystem, committed to advancing the future of food by supporting agritech entrepreneurs and start-ups. This unique ecosystem will be coming together in an Ideation Day, hosted by Innovation Endeavors and Finistere Ventures in Palo Alto on 4 September to help founders think through some of the most difficult technical and business challenges they face.

Farm2050 is a unique collective of global venture funds and international agribusinesses. Corporate members include Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, Corteva, Mars & PepsiCo. Its membership includes global tech firms such as Microsoft & Google X. In August last year, I had the honour of signing the Partnership Agreement with Farm2050 as New Zealand became the collective’s first ‘Country Partner’. The photograph above was taken in Innovation Endeavors Palo Alto office shortly before the signing.

Next month’s Ideation Day is the first initiative if its kind. In New Zealand, Agritech New Zealand is working with the Sprout Accelerator and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise to identify potential start-ups to pitch next month. Each start-up will have the opportunity to present what they are working on at a high level to the broader group and to make specific requests of the Farm2050 membership (e.g. strategy feedback, partnership opportunities, etc.). The entire group will then go into an open brainstorming/Q&A session to provide the start-up with feedback and collaboratively ideate on ways they can be more successful.

This model goes way beyond anything I have seen to-date. By bringing together not only major global investment funds, but also some of the world’s leading agritech minds, start-ups will be able to significantly increase their visibility to a connected audience.

One word of caution. New Zealand’s definition of a start-up and those gathering in Palo Alto are not always the same. Typically, they will have already landed seed funding from professional investors. They will almost certainly have secured or be in the market for Series A funding, enabling them to accelerate growth. But Farm2050’s Ideation Day is more than just about access to capital. It’s about engaging with potential global partners to scale internationally and explore actionable next steps regarding investment, commercial and partnership opportunities.

For any ‘start-up’ selected to pitch at Farm2050’s Ideation Day, the opportunity to connect and engage with the world’s leading agritech collective will be truly transformational.

These are really exciting times for the global agritech sector. It’s crucial that New Zealand plays its part.

Scale-Up NZ is a significant platform that is being built out by Callaghan Innovation. It is designed to shine a light on New Zealand’s thriving innovation ecosystem. It delivers accurate insights on ambitious, innovative New Zealand companies, removing information gaps that too often prevent our businesses from achieving their potential. 

The platform is based on the hugely successful Start-Up Nation Finder, which provides information on over 7,000 companies that make up Israel’s innovation ecosystem. Thousands of people use Start-Up Nation Finder every day to search for Israeli start-ups, potential partners and investors. 

The platform groups together companies in similar areas of innovation based on an advanced tagging system. With My Collections, registered users can follow and analyse companies, investors, hubs, and multinationals in one easy to manage interface. Users can request mediated introductions, which also has potential to help job seekers connect with possible employers. 

For New Zealand agritech companies, this provides an amazing platform to increase visibility to potential investors & partners around the world. Best of all? It’s free! All you need to do is go online to www.scaleup.nz and check the eligibility criteria for listing your company or entity and, if eligible, upload your business details for review by Callaghan’s team of data analysts. Users can log-in using existing LinkedIn and Google account details. 

As New Zealand’s agritech sector grows, the Scaleup NZ platform provides an invaluable opportunity for companies to increase global visibility. Significant investment is being made into the platform by Callaghan Innovation. It is there for you to use.

Agritech New Zealand strongly supports this initiative. We urge you to make full use of this fantastic opportunity.

Sign up at www.scaleup.nz now.

Last Thursday, at Agritech Unleashed, Arama Kukutai, co-founder & Managing Director of Finistere Ventures, announced that his firm planned to open up an office in Palmerston North to help identify new and manage existing New Zealand agritech investments. The office is be led by Dean Tilyard, founder of the Sprout Accelerator.

It was a hugely important announcement. To understand that, you need to also understand some of the major global investors who were in the room when Arama made the announcement. They included:

• Mathew Pryor, Partner at Agthentic
• Mary Dimou, Business Development Director, Canopy Rivers
• Kirk Belsby, Partner at Finistere Ventures
• Michael Lavin, Managing Director at Germin8
• Alexey Rostapshov, Global Head of Digital Innovation, John Deere
• Richard O’Gorman, Director, Rabobank Food & Agriculture Innovation Fund
• Craig Boshier, General Manager, Yamaha Motor Ventures

Several of these funds have already invested into New Zealand agritech companies. Some are part of Farm2050, the global collective of venture funds. Others were in New Zealand to get a better understanding of the landscape for future investment into the sector.

I had joined the delegation in Auckland when they arrived on Tuesday and then co-hosted the delegation with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) on Friday for a day’s workshop in Rotorua.

For me, Arama’s announcement on Thursday was just the start. Interest in New Zealand’s agritech sector is growing rapidly and Agritech New Zealand has been doing all it can to raise the visibility of the sector to offshore investors. Over the coming weeks, I expect details to be announced about significant additional venture funding capacity for our growth stage agritech companies.

It’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in New Zealand’s agritech sector. Check out our News section as we release details of these upcoming announcements.

This major initiative has been a joint venture between Agritech New Zealand and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE). Over the past six months, we have been organising workshops, preparing insights both onshore and offshore, and working with industry and government agency partners to identify our sector’s core strengths & values.

This video is just part of the story. It talks about ‘Powered by Place’ and our special kaitiaki; the concept of guardianship, for the sky, the sea, and the land. It talks about that real connection that connects farmers, growers and innovators with our environment.

It talks about New Zealand values and the role that our innovation and agri technology has to play. Not just to produce high quality food and fibre, but in a way that protects and sustains our environment. It’s a value that we want to share with the rest of the world.

Please feel free to share the video and provide us with your feedback. Our intention over the coming months is to continue to build out the story with case studies and other relevant collateral.

At Agritech Unleashed, I said to the many agritech companies attending the event that this was not our story; it was yours. As we build up our asset base of videos, images & stories, I would ask all New Zealand agritech companies to feel free to use these materials to promote your products, your services and your mission.

At Agritech New Zealand, we look forward to continuing to work with NZTE as the story builds. To Kenny & Neil, in particular, great work. The red carpet though has been rolled up and the bunting put away. It’s now time to kick on!

Agritech New Zealand is delighted to announce that Peter Beck, founder and chief executive of Rocket Lab, will be speaking at the Agritech Unleashed event at National Fieldays today.

Since founding the business in 2006, Peter has grown Rocket Lab to become a globally recognized industry leader in space and a billion-dollar company employing world-class engineers and technicians. Peter established Rocket Lab’s Electron orbital launch program in 2013. Peter also oversaw the development of the world’s first and only private orbital launch range, located on Māhia Peninsula. He played a crucial role in establishing international treaties and legislation to enable orbital launch capability from New Zealand. That capability was realized in January 2018 with Rocket Lab’s first orbital launch of the Electron rocket.

Peter will be speaking at the Bledisloe Function Centre at Mystery Creek during the Agritech Unleashed conference at 1.30pm. Peter is keynoting the session, ‘How the 2019 New Zealand Aerospace Challenge is supporting sustainable farming’. You can learn more about the session at https://agritechnz.org.nz/fieldays-2019/

Access to the session is free. We would however strongly recommend you turn up no later than 10 minutes before the session begins. Demand for seating will be high. This will be one fantastic session.

I look forward to seeing you there.

AgritechNZ chief executive Peter Wren-Hilton says New Zealand is taking a global lead on bringing cutting-edge technology to Kiwi farming and the Agritech Unleashed summit on June 13 is a crucial step toward that goal.

“This major project will bring together widespread knowledge and resources to advance the mission of Farm2050 so we can help feed the planet sustainably and affordably,” he says.

“With the need to feed the world’s population of 9.8 billion people by 2050, AgritechNZ is looking at ways New Zealand can scale up its food production to meet the growing global demand.

“Global food systems will need to transform at an unprecedented speed and scale so this event next week will seek to explore and confirm the power of innovation and technology to meet the greater demand on food production,” he says.

“We also have to take into account sustainability and climate change; healthy diets, meat alternatives and nutrition; market efficiency; and shaping a national strategy for the future of food.”

“Increasing scrutiny of environmental impact on farms has raised the need for remediation and analytics to meet increasing and stricter regulatory requirements. 

“Growth in the New Zealand dairy sector since the mid-1980s has seen nitrogen fertiliser use increase 10 times, while farm energy inputs doubled over the last 20 years and has led to a negative regulatory and public reaction to fertiliser over-use.’’

At Agritech Unleashed, leading global experts will be outlining the three-year agritech initiative and why New Zealand will be taking a lead role and how players in the nutrient sector in New Zealand can take part.

Among the heavyweight speakers are Sara Ahmed-Holman, of Eric Schmidt’s (former chief executive and chair of Google) investment vehicle, Innovation Endeavor.

Other international agritech specialists include Alexey Rostapshov, global head of Digital Innovation, John Deere and Michael Levin, founder and managing director of Germin8.

If New Zealand’s agritech community is serious about supporting farmers and growers address some of the major environmental impacts necessary to continue to secure the social license needed to operate, this initiative will go a long way down that path, Wren-Hilton says.

“As Farm2050’s first country partner, New Zealand has a pivotal role to play. We have advanced farming systems and deep domain knowledge.

“We produce some of the finest agricultural product in the world, yet our farmers and growers are well aware of the regulatory environment in which they now operate. Consumer concerns about environmental impact, and government regulation are all affecting sentiment within the primary sector,” he says.

The New Zealand tech sector is the country’s third largest and fastest growing export sector, worth over $6.3 billion in 2015 and employing more than six percent of the New Zealand workforce.

AgritechNZ is part of the NZ Tech Alliance.

For further information contact Peter Wren-Hilton on 21 791120 or Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188

• A preview of the New Zealand Agritech Story. This is a major project that Agritech New Zealand has been developing with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) over the past six months.
• A preview of the establishment of a New Zealand agritech venture fund. For New Zealand’s early stage agritech sector looking to scale, this has often been cited as the missing link.
• The formal New Zealand launch of Farm2050’s Nutrient Initiative. This three year initiative is designed to identify nutrient-related technologies that will not only increase plant yield, but also mitigate against negative environmental impact such as run-off. A critically important opportunity for New Zealand to lead the world in sustainable farming
• The NZ Aerospace Challenge 2019 is also addressing one of the biggest issues facing the agricultural sector – sustainability. Twenty companies are developing a product or service that detects, monitors or measures water or soil pollution using the very latest satellite and unmanned aircraft (UA) technology. Learn how New Zealand is leading the world in this space.
• The Government has launched an ‘All of Government’ Agritech Taskforce. At this session, the taskforce lead will focus on the initiatives under discussion and how they are being designed to support and scale New Zealand’s agritech sector.

Agritech Unleashed is brought to you by Agritech New Zealand, with the valued support of National Fieldays and the generous sponsorship of the Ministry for Primary Industries. Agritech Unleashed will provide visibility and insights into some of the major initiatives being planned for New Zealand’s agritech sector.

Supporting this initiative, some of the biggest names in global agritech are travelling to New Zealand to attend the event. Several have already agreed to take part in panel discussions, bringing global context to some of the opportunities and challenges being addressed by Agritech New Zealand. Agritech Unleashed is an invite only event. Details will be published on our website on Monday, including how to apply for a ticket.

Before then, the team are gearing up for Techweek19, 20–24 May. The intention behind Techweek is simple – to amplify New Zealand’s unique and inspiring innovation stories to the world. New Zealand’s tech and innovation sectors are growing rapidly and Techweek fosters growth by providing the national ecosystem with a week long opportunity for connection and cross-pollination.

Throughout New Zealand, a number of agritech events are taking place including the annual LandWISE conference in Havelock North. I will be travelling across the country supporting a number of Techweek19 events. They include an inaugural agritech workshop I will be leading in Wanganui, the ‘All You Can Eat’ event in New Plymouth, the launch of the PlantTech regional research centre in Tauranga, the Rezare agritech bootcamp in Hamilton and Techweek TV in Auckland. Check out some of the other great events below.

Meanwhile, interest from global players in New Zealand’s agritech sector continues to grow. Congratulations then to the Invert Robotics team who picked up $13 million of investment from a global syndicate of investors led by Finistere Ventures and Yamaha Motor Ventures last week. It was great to see existing New Zealand investors, including New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), take part in this funding round. This follows similar recent multi million dollar investments into the likes of Biolumic, Robotics Plus and Halter. Expect more investment activity in this space in the coming months.

Beyond Techweek19 and Fieldays, the ‘All of Government’ Agritech Taskforce is ramping up its activity and we are fully engaged as an industry partner. Over the coming weeks the opportunity for our members to actively connect and help influence both policy and regulation settings will become more evident.

In the meantime, I very much hope you have the opportunity to attend some of the great agritech events during Techweek19. It truly is a great time to be involved in New Zealand’s agritech sector.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

NEWS

Join Peter Wren-Hilton for Major New Zealand Agritech Initiatives in 2019 and how the Whanganui region can be involved on 20 May in Whanganui.

Watch Techweek TV:When Aerospace and AgriTech combines on 22 May. Plus Techweek TV: Automation in Agritech – where to from here? on 24 May.

Join the Waikato Ag Innovations Bootcamp, 23–24 May in Hamilton. Attend the PlantTech Research Institute: Official Interactive Launchon 23 May in Tauranga.

What will the AgriFood sector look like in the future? Register for All You Can Eat on 20 and 21 May in New Plymouth. Attend LandWISE 2019: Rethinking Best Practice on 22 May in Hawkes Bay.

Save the date for evokeAg, 18–19 February, 2020 in Melbourne. In case you missed this year’s event, watch the highlights of day one and day two.

Join Agritech New Zealand at the Primary Industries New Zealand Summit and Awards, 1–2 July in Wellington. 

Don’t forget, time is running out to sign up as ShadowTech 2019 mentor. We need more tech professionals throughout New Zealand to inspire girls to consider tech careers. Everything you need to know is here.

Entries for the Fieldays Innovation Awards close on 10 May. Entries for the 2019 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation Awards close 31 May.

Join EdTechNZ and TechWomen on 13 June in Wellington, 20 June in Auckland and 26 June in Christchurch to discuss how to achieve diversity in the tech sector. Registrations opening soon.

Attend Automation for Business on 23 May in Auckland. The New Zealand Esri User Conference is 12–14 August in Auckland. The Canterbury Tech Summit is 12 September.

Join Agritech New Zealand today. We are a membership funded organisation. If you are not already a member, please consider joining us.

Have you been forwarded this newsletter? Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.

Be part of Scale-Up New Zealand, a free online platform for New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem.

This is the first Agritech New Zealand newsletter since the terrible events in Christchurch on 15 March. Our thoughts and condolences go to everyone affected during these difficult times.

Looking ahead, Agritech New Zealand is a Channel Partner for this week’s BOMA Grow 2019 Agri Summit conference in Christchurch. I look forward to meeting some of the several hundred delegates expected to attend.

Looking ahead is the core message of this month’s newsletter. Three weeks ago, Agritech New Zealand hosted leading officials from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and Callaghan Innovation at the first ‘All of Government’ Agritech Taskforce hui. The hui was held in Tauranga and followed meetings, late last year with Ministers Parker, O’Connor and Jones.

This is a significant initiative aimed at creating an agreed comprehensive strategy for agritech growth in New Zealand. The Taskforce, working in conjunction with Agritech New Zealand and industry partners, has identified some key initial areas of focus. These include:

1. Fuelling the growth of the ecosystem by:

• Identifying new channels to source venture capital investment
• Developing skills by creating an Agritech leaders’ skill development programme
• Leveraging existing and developing new International partnerships

2. Acting as One Agritech Team

• Industry, Government and research working together to create an agreed comprehensive strategy for agritech growth

3. Defining the Global Customer Opportunity and New Zealand’s Advantage

• Creating and promoting New Zealand’s unique agritech story
• Establishing New Zealand as a global thought leader in sustainability and agritech
• Defining global problems which match our vision for New Zealand’s impact for example, automation, clean water and nutrients
• Creating a transparent and comprehensive support system for companies looking to scale their business

The Taskforce is not a working group in waiting. Ministers want action and resource is being made available to make it happen. Over the coming weeks, I will be dedicating a significant amount of time travelling throughout New Zealand, meeting representatives from industry, research, Government and investment. As the various initial areas of focus are cemented, the outcome of these discussions will be shared with the Taskforce members.

Agritech New Zealand members will have a key role to play. We will be establishing formal workshops for some of the key themes of the initiative. These will input directly into the creation of the agreed comprehensive strategy. Soon, I will be sending an invitation to members to contribute to and benefit from this activity.

Looking ahead, planning for Agritech New Zealand’s major Day Two event at National Fieldays is well under way. It will coincide with the formal launch of the New Zealand agritech story and provide a platform to share some of our major new initiatives.

Finally, congratulations to the five finalists for the 2019 NZTE Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Agritech Sector at this year’s NZ Hi-Tech Awards; Agricom, Aporo – Robotics Plus, BlueLab, Livestock Improvement Corporation and Robotic Log Scaler – Robotics Plus. Five great solutions that demonstrate the depth and breadth of New Zealand’s agritech community.

There has never been a time when so much focus has been placed on our sector. The world of agriculture is changing rapidly and the new urgency being stoked by the Taskforce provides our country’s agritech businesses with a great opportunity to take a global lead.

These are exciting times. I hope that you can, and want to be, part of our journey.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

NEWS

Register for What Could Climate Change Mean for Farming in Canterbury event on 2 May at Blinc Innovation in Christchurch.Build your profile and visibility by entering the Fieldays Innovation Awards. Entries close on 1 May. Fieldays is 12-15 June in Hamilton.

Join Agritech New Zealand at thePrimary Industries New Zealand Summit and Awards, 1-2 July in Wellington. Includes changing consumer preferences, strategy review, climate change, geopolitical and trade outlooks. Register for updates.

Attend Techweek19’s official launch event on 20 May in Auckland or join the live webcast. Join Peter Wren-Hilton on 24 May for Techweek TV’s webcast panel discussion, Automation in Agritech – where to from here? Techweek TV also explores the use of IoT in Agritech, 5G, global waste, Blockchain and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Hawkes Bay based apple harvesting robots have made international news. Palmerston North startup, BioLumic has attracted significant overseas investment for its plant growing technology. They have created the first ultraviolet ‘crop yield enhancement system’ and secured $5 million in financing.

Curious about AI? Video presentations from the recent AI-DAY are now online. If you are considering expansion in Asia, check out the Future Foods Asia 2019 conference on 3-4 June in Singapore. This year’s themes include smallholder solutions, rising middle class and food 4.0.

Sign up as a mentor and inspire girls into tech. ShadowTech is on 23 May in Gisborne, 7 June in Auckland, 11 June in Christchurch, 14 June in Palmerston North, 18 June in Dunedin and 27 June in Hamilton. Hack Tairawhiti 2.0 returns 17-19 May in Gisborne and is also looking for business mentors and design thinkers to help companies accelerate ideas with tech innovation.

Entries are now open for the 2019 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation Awards for companies doing business with the USA.

Considering exports? New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s (NZTE) Export Essentials workshops will help you grow faster. Forthcoming dates include Auckland, Kerikeri, New Plymouth and Wellington.

Join EdTechNZ and TechWomen on 13 June in Wellington, 20 June in Auckland and 26 June in Christchurch to discuss how to achieve diversity in the tech sector. Registrations opening soon.

Learn more about Standards New Zealand (SNZ)and its role in the digital economy, including AgriTech, AI, Blockchain, IoT and other emerging tech.

Attend the T-Tech19 conference, 6-7 May in Christchurch. Attend Automation for Business on 23 May in Auckland. The New Zealand Esri User Conference is 12-14 August in Auckland. The Canterbury Tech Summit is 12 September. The 2019 NZ Cyber Security Summit is 15 October in Wellington.

Agritech New Zealand is a membership funded organisation. If you are not already a member, please consider joining us.

Have you been forwarded this newsletter? Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.

Be part of Scale-Up New Zealand, a free online platform for New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem.

Discussions and issues relating to New Zealand agritech will be on the agenda at events during Techweek next month.

Technology is transforming the way Kiwis grow and sell food as every piece of the supply chain is up for disruption.

“By 2050, the global population will demand 70 percent more food than is consumed today. Feeding these numbers nutritiously and sustainably will require substantial improvements to the global food system.

“We want to improve and increase our food production through better technology, such as robotics, and we will do that with more collaboration, innovation, and connected capital from overseas.

“Agritech could be destined to save the New Zealand economy because of the tremendous worldwide demand for food.

“There is growing evidence that the abundance of processed foods is the underlying cause of a global obesity epidemic which is also impacting New Zealand which is ranked third worst in the OECD for obesity.

“Combining two of New Zealand’s leading sectors, agriculture and technology, shows just how we can improve New Zealand farming, food production and health while also growing our exports. We are on the cusp of some massive and exciting tech changes in our lives.

“There are some amazing agritech developments in Silicon Valley such as Granular Software a farm operations startup that was recently purchased by DuPont for $US300 million, or the synthetic protein companies like Clara Foods for eggs, Memphis Meats for beef and Finless Foods for fish.”

In New Zealand, award-winning Tauranga company Robotics Plus has an automated apple packaging system that will be able to help US growers address labour shortages.

New Zealand is well positioned to meet increasing demands for specialty and healthy foods. Miro berries, a Maori owned and driven company, is deploying the latest agritech in New Zealand to build high value blueberry production to replicate our success in kiwifruit and meet domestic and global demand for the superfood.

New Zealand is one of the top 10 world’s biggest blueberry producers. About 700 ha of blueberry crops are grown in New Zealand with expectations the export industry could be worth more than $100 million in coming years.

Wren-Hilton says New Zealand is achieving good agritech export growth rates relative to other nations. Global agritech investment is expanding rapidly, with investment in agritech firms in 2018 was estimated at more than $US2.36 billion.

For further information contact Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188

Last week, I visited Hamilton, Palmerston North and Lincoln as part of the New Zealand Agritech Story workshop programme. We are organising these workshops with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) to gain insights into some of the sector’s perceptions of this country’s competitive agritech advantage. Simultaneously, the project team is gathering insights about New Zealand’s perceived position from significant global players. This activity culminates with the formal launch of the New Zealand Agritech story on Thursday 13 June at National Fieldays.

Building a compelling and cohesive New Zealand agritech story will provide the sector with huge value going forward, but it is not being developed in isolation.

The New Zealand Government Agritech Taskforce

This week, I am meeting senior officials from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE), NZTE, Callaghan Innovation and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to discuss the programme of initiatives being developed by the new all of government agritech taskforce. Agritech New Zealand is working with the taskforce as its sector interface. Personally, I’m delighted that David Downs has been seconded from NZTE to MBIE to lead this taskforce. I’ve known David for a number of years and look forward to working with him as we collectively develop programmes that have real impact.

National Fieldays 2019

We are also delighted to be formally partnering with National Fieldays, with exclusive use of the Bledisloe Building on day two of this year’s event at Mystery Creek. We will launch three additional new initiatives at Fieldays. During the week, we will be hosting a number of international venture funds and agribusiness leaders looking to do business with New Zealand. It provides a unique opportunity to showcase our sector’s problem solving tech to a highly influential global audience.

International Agritech Missions

Last month, I joined over 100 Kiwi agritech professionals at the evokeAG conference in Melbourne. It was great to see New Zealand startup CertusBio win the Pitch Tent Investment Ready competition. Congratulations to Matthew and the team! evokeAG will be held in Melbourne next year and we are once again planning to attend. Read our conference review here.

In June, we are supporting a delegation attend the Forbes Live conference in Salinas, Northern California. In September, we are planning to support a delegation to attend the Irish Ploughing Championships. We are working with Callaghan Innovation and NZTE to help make this happen.

IoT in Agriculture April Event Series

Next month, we are co-hosting a series of workshops to discuss How the Future of AgriTech and BioTech will be enabled by IoT. Join us on 9 April in Christchurch, 10 April in Wellington and 11 April in Auckland. Our event partners are the New Zealand IoT Alliance and BIOTechNZ. Watch your inbox for your invitation landing soon.

From my desk, I see real momentum building. The increased engagement with Government is being matched by a significant increase in activity in the startup and early stage space. I can evidence this from the increasing number of enquiries we are receiving from offshore capital and an exponential increase in interest from potential agribusiness collaborators.

For Agritech New Zealand and our members, this is certainly a great time to be involved in New Zealand agritech.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

NZ HI-TECH AWARDS: Attend the finalist announcements

AI FORUM: Join AI-Day this month!

NEWS

Join Leveraging Blockchain for your Digital Identity on tomorrow in Wellington and 21 March in Auckland. Attend Central District Fieldays, this week in Feilding. Save the date for Fieldays, 12-15 June in Hamilton.

Secure your seat at Grow 2019 on 10-11 April in Christchurch. Early bird tickets close on Friday. Join Peter-Wren Hilton at MobileTECH 2019 on 3-4 April in Rotorua, showcasing agricultural, horticultural and forestry tech.

Considering expansion in Asia? Check out details of the Future Foods Asia 2019 conference on 3-4 June in Singapore. This year’s themes include smallholder solutions, rising middle class and food 4.0.

AI-DAY is 27 and 28 March, in Auckland. Check out this preview featured in Idealog. Register to attend now! Following the conference there is also a workshop series on 3 and 4 April. Workshop passes are available here.

Be part of Scale-Up New Zealand, a free online platform for New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem. Everything you need to know is here.

World changing ideas are born in New Zealand! Meet the UpStarters and learn more about New Zealand’s tech and innovation story.

Register for the New Zealand Digital Skills Hui on 27 March in Wellington. Curious about Blockchain? BlockchainNZ is the newest member of the Tech Alliance. Stay informed about this emerging tech and subscribe to their newsletter for regular updates.

Create connections, increase knowledge and support the growth of women in tech. Apply for TechWomen’s 2019 Mentoring Circles programme in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Registrations for mentors and mentees close 15 March.

Finalists for the 2019 Hi-Tech Awards will be announced on 27 March and winners awarded on 24 May in Auckland, during Techweek19. Lightning Lab Tourism and the Edmund Hillary Fellowship are now accepting applications.

Agritech New Zealand is a membership funded organisation. If you are not already a member, please consider joining us. Have you been forwarded this newsletter? Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.

Thinking of getting involved in Techweek19?  Event submissions close soon.

Learn more and register to be part of Scale-Up New Zealand.

Yesterday, I joined more than half of the New Zealand delegates attending the evokeAG agritech conference in Melbourne next week.  Working with Callaghan Innovation and NZTE, we have established a four day immersion programme which includes farm visits and meetings with key players in the Australian agritech sector.  Learn more about the event here.

All of Government Agritech Taskforce Update

Last week, I met a number of senior Government agency representatives in Wellington. This follows on from several Ministerial meetings towards the end of last year and a decision by Ministers to develop an all of Government taskforce to support the growth of the agritech sector. Agritech New Zealand is acting as the interface between this taskforce and industry. I have further meetings over the coming weeks and will report back on developments.

Launching the Farm2050 Disruptive Nutrient Technology Initiative

Last month, I also met a number of Farm2050 partners in San Diego to discuss the upcoming Farm2050 global Disruptive Nutrient Technology Initiative. New Zealand is taking a lead role in this initiative as first country partner of Farm2050.  You can learn more in my blog update here.

We plan to schedule a series of workshops across the country in April and May. The aim is to provide local companies with an opportunity to engage directly with some of the world’s largest agribusinesses including Bayer, Syngenta, Corteva and Nutrien. The focus of the initiative is to identify nutrient technologies that improve plant absorption efficiency and create reductions in environmental impact such as run-off. A number of Farm2050’s venture partners are also engaging directly with this initiative. More details to come.

National Fieldays 2019

Talking of global partners, we are in the process of finalising an agreement with National Fieldays to host a major innovation event at Mystery Creek in June.  We will be hosting a series of sessions in the Bledisloe Building on day two of Fieldays, Thursday 13 June. This will include the formal launch of the New Zealand agritech story as well as providing a platform for our sector to showcase our tech to an international audience. A number of Farm2050’s global partners are expected to attend and several major announcements impacting the future of the sector are expected.

It’s been an exciting start to the year with a number of new initiatives either underway or in review. If you have not already signed up as a member of Agritech New Zealand, I would urge you to do so.

For further details of the benefits on offer and the opportunity to take part in some of the major initiatives planned, please visit https://agritechnz.org.nz/join/.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

NZ HI-TECH AWARDS – Entries close 4 March!

AIForum – Join AI-Day on 28 March

NEWS

Attend AgriFutures evokeAG, 19-20 February in Melbourne.   See the latest on-farm technologies and hear from experts about automation and robotics in future farming.  Discover the future of waste as an emerging supply chain and more.

Peter Wren-Hilton, Agritech New Zealand’s Executive Director is presenting on the future of the agritech sector in New Zealand at MobileTECH 2019, 3-4 April in Rotorua.   Early bird tickets are available until 22 February.

Create connections in the AI and FinTech ecosystems. Join us on 14 February in Wellington, 21 February in Auckland and 27 February in Christchurch. Tech Alliance members receive two tickets for the price of one for Wellington and Christchurch.  Register today only with the promo code: TA2FOR25

Attend Central District Fieldays, 14-16 March in Feilding.  Save the date for Fieldays, 12-15 June in Hamilton. Lightning Lab Tourism and the Edmund Hillary Fellowship are now accepting applications.

What does the future of New Zealand’s public sector look like?  Register to attend the Future Government Summit, 26-27 February, 2019 and help create a roadmap for the future.

Considering entering the 2019 Hi-Tech Awards?  Here’s six reasons why you should enter.  Entries close 4 March and finalists will be announced on 27 March.  Save the date for the Gala Dinner, 24 May in Auckland, during Techweek19.

In local news,  learn more about New Zealand’s world first IoT farming trial. Plus, more on the new global initiative into emerging nutrient technologies.

World changing ideas are born in New Zealand!  Meet the UpStartersand learn more about New Zealand’s tech and innovation story. Watch videos and download the showcase booklet.

Register for the TechMarketers 2019 Conference on 28 February in Auckland, or forward to your Marketing colleagues. Email now to get your NZ Tech community discount code.

Agritech New Zealand is a membership funded organisation.  If you are not already a member, please consider joining us.  Have you been forwarded this newsletter? Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.  

Thinking of getting involved in Techweek19?  Event submissions are now open.

We are not doing this alone. We are working with our existing members, the New Zealand government and external partners to facilitate better access to:

• Offshore markets
• International partnerships
• Global capital

We are also launching a series of new initiatives through 2019 in which New Zealand will be taking a global lead. These are designed to address some of the key challenges that are impacting on the primary sector, both at home and abroad: Labour (the lack of); increasing the production of nutritious food; improving sustainable farming practices; better management of environmental and water control. All set against a backdrop of changing weather patterns, evolving land use and a growing consumer awareness of the importance of provenance around how we grow food, its source & its impact on the land.

Members of Agritech New Zealand will be able to take part in the working groups established to address these challenges. We will in turn be working with New Zealand government’s new inter-agency taskforce designed to support the growth of the agritech sector. As a member of the Agritech New Zealand, your business will be able to benefit from these initiatives.

As a corporate member, you will have access to New Zealand’s agritech start-up ecosystem, learning more about how their often disruptive technology and business models can positively support your business. As a start-up member, the converse applies. Access to New Zealand’s more established agribusinesses will potentially help scale your emerging business.

Better access to global capital is key for most businesses. By providing channels to that capital, Agritech New Zealand, together with its partners in Farm2050, can provide that access. To support this offshore visibility, Agritech New Zealand will be representing New Zealand’s agritech sector at a number of major international agritech-focused conferences this year, providing direct insights into New Zealand’s agritech landscape and the opportunity it provides for offshore engagement and investment.

If you want to play a key role in helping develop New Zealand’s rapidly growing agritech ecosystem, you can sign up and join Agritech New Zealand today. As we publicise these new initiatives, the opportunity to connect and engage with that community and our offshore partners will significantly benefit both our individual members and the country’s wider agritech ecosystem.

Agritech New Zealand’s key purpose is that ‘by working together, we can unleash New Zealand’s agri-technology expertise, globally’. To join this community today, you can view and sign up via Agritech New Zealand’s online membership application form here. Alternatively, you can contact me directly at my email address: peter.wren-hilton@agritechnz.org.nz

The team looks forward to working with you through 2019.

I am writing from Ireland where I have just attended the 2019 Agtech Nexus Europe conference. I was joined by Vic Crone, CEO of Callaghan Innovation and Sprout Accelerator’s Dean Tilyard.  We have been exploring opportunities for increased collaboration between our respective agritech sectors.  Read more about my time here in A Letter from Dublin.

Our visit has been part of a much more significant journey; the development of a national agritech strategy which will help drive the growth of our sector.  Following several meetings with Government Ministers in recent months, an ‘all of government’ taskforce has been established to work with industry to build this strategy. While many Kiwis will be spending the holidays on the beach, Agritech New Zealand will be working closely with this taskforce to help accelerate its work. Agritech New Zealand’s diverse membership allows us to ensure this strategy will have a very strong commercial focus.  Building New Zealand agritech to support New Zealand’s own primary industries adopt more home-grown tech to provide more efficient and sustainable farming practice, as well as helping scale our members’ businesses offshore, are two of the key metrics driving our position.

As we approach the final days of 2018, I am tempted to conduct a review of some of our agritech sector’s great achievements of the year.  There are many, but the scale of opportunity makes focusing on 2019 a far more productive use of time and space. Three significant events have been identified for the year ahead and we are working with Government agencies to support New Zealand agritech delegates attendance.  These key diary dates include:

• EvokeAG 2019 conference, 19–20 February in Melbourne, Australia
• Forbes Live Agtech event, 26–28 June in Salinas, California, USA
• Irish Ploughing Championships 17–19 September in County Carlow, Ireland.

Additionally, our strategic global partnerships with both Farm2050 and Western Growers will provide a number of exciting opportunities for New Zealand agritech companies looking to scale offshore through 2019.

At home, the first six months will see significant Agritech New Zealand input into the development of the New Zealand Agritech Story.  We are working with the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and New Zealand Story project team to ready this for launch at National Fieldays in June.  By curating a coherent and compelling New Zealand agritech story, we will be more effective when talking to international partners about the New Zealand agritech ‘advantage’.  Agritech New Zealand would like to publicly recognise the funding commitment made by Government to help develop this story.

Early next year, we will announce our first working groups and national workshops.  These will allow members to participate and engage in key forums on critical issues such as the development of disruptive technologies for nutrients, the future of digital farming and the opportunities for accessing global capital.  Agritech New Zealand has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to ensure the outcome of these working group discussions lead to recommendations for amending related policy and regulation settings.

2018 has been quite a year! In the six months since Agritech New Zealand was formally established, we have focused on creating necessary building blocks to support and scale the country’s agritech sector.  With many of the building blocks now in place, 2019 promises to be an incredibly exciting place to be. We hope you will join us on this journey.

The team at Agritech New Zealand would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a very prosperous and safe New Year.

Ngā mihi
Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director
Agritech New Zealand

Welcome to our new members this month

•  Advanced Biotech NZ (ABNZ)
• AerotekFan
• AGMARDT
• Agrisea
• Be Amorgos
• Cawthron Institute
• Ento Solutions
• Foundation for Arable Research (FAR)
• Haunui Technology Group
• Jade Software Corporation
• KPMG
• Mount Albert Grammar School
• Plant & Food Research
• Precision Hawk
• Solcor
• Think Technology
• University of Auckland
• Verify Union
• Zeddy

News

Join the large New Zealand delegation attending, evokeAG, 19-20 February, 2019 in Melbourne.  Here’s five reasons to put evokeAG on your ‘to do’ list! Tickets are available here.

Super early bird rates close on Friday for MobileTECH 2019.  Check out the keynote speakers for the annual event which showcases tech transforming the primary sector.

Have your say and share your views on policy!  Final submissions for the R&D Tax Incentive close 14 December.  MFAT submissions for a post-Brexit free trade agreement close 11 February, 2019.

Join the New Zealand pavilion at BIO 2019, celebrating globally important innovations in biotech.  Please register your interest with MBIE by 14 December.  

What does the future of New Zealand’s public sector look like?  Register to attend the Future Government Summit, 26-27 February, 2019 and help create a roadmap for the future.  Includes GovTech, tech trends, innovation and more.

Would you like to be involved in Techweek19?  Plan an event to inspire New Zealanders and build capability.   If you would like to be involved in the programme highlights, submissions close this week.

A new local report suggests that nearly one in five farmers is struggling to keep up with the pace of technological change and 80% of them are underestimating its effects.  Read more about emerging tech and the adoption lag here.  

In other news, “a trusted, secure digital identity is crucial for all New Zealanders,” said Minister Woods at the official launch of Digital Identity NZ last week.  Join the digital identity conversation here.    

Join the AI Forum at the 31st Australasian Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence this week in Wellington.  Applications for the AI Impact Challenge, helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges close on 22 January.

Entries for the 2019 Hi-Tech Awards are now open!  Check out the categories and consider a nomination.  Save the date for the 2019 Gala Dinner on 24 May in Auckland, during Techweek19.

Agritech New Zealand is a membership funded organisation.  If you are not already a member, please consider joining us.  Have you been forwarded this newsletter?  Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.  

Save these 2019 event dates; Tech Marketers conference on 28 February, AI-Day on 28 March and Techweek 20-26 May.  

I am spending three days meeting up with some great Irish agritech innovators, investors & ecosystem players. The week culminates in my attending and participating in the AgTech Nexus Europe conference which is being held at Dublin’s Conference Centre on Friday.

It’s a long way to travel from Tauranga. 3 flights. 32 hours. Each way.

So you might ask why?

The answer is pretty straightforward. The opportunity for increased collaboration between New Zealand and Ireland’s agritech sectors is huge. Both countries have similar pastoral farming systems; both countries produce premium agricultural product and both countries are committed to building more sustainable farming practices – for both the environment and the farmer.

There’s one thing however that we don’t share and that’s the greatest value add. We operate in two very different hemispheres. This offers agritech companies with the opportunity to conduct R&D, as well as product and in-market validation during not one, but two growing seasons. That’s massive.

Let’s say you are a Waikato-based early stage dairy tech business developing a solution for calving. Right now, active application would take place during the New Zealand winter season. There then comes that long break until the next calving season begins. Imagine however if you could be part of a structured and well-supported landing pad in Ireland and could continue that R&D and product validation work during the northern hemisphere calving season. In a world where speed to market counts for so much, this could significantly accelerate the opportunity. This explains why I am in Ireland exploring ways to establish a more formal bridge between Agritech New Zealand and our Irish counterparts.

The good news is that Ireland’s agri sector is listening and is ready to engage. Last night, I spoke at a private dinner function to several of Ireland’s leading agritech ecosystem partners, including the Irish Sovereign Fund. I am giving similar presentations, in different settings, over the next 36 hours to other key Irish players. There’s a purpose.

In September next year, working closely with Callaghan Innovation, we intend to invite a large delegation of New Zealand agritech companies to attend the 2019 Irish Ploughing Championships. Think National Fieldays. On steroids. Over 100,000 visitors each day for three days.

By then, I want to have that bridge built. I want New Zealand agritech companies to be able to leverage the opportunity that a dual hemisphere strategy can offer.

Next week, I will publish a more detailed account of how my meetings have gone and where to from here. These are exciting times for both New Zealand and Ireland’s respective agtitech communities.

• the strategic importance to our sector of becoming Farm2050’s first ‘Country Partner’ and the opportunity this provides emerging, disruptive New Zealand businesses to work on some of the really big problems facing the world’s agricultural industry. This partnership also provides access to both connected global capital and a number of major international agribusinesses.
• partnering with Western Growers, North America’s largest producers of fresh produce, to address key challenges around labour and the need to automate more on-farm processes and applications. This is creating significant new commercial pathways for New Zealand agritech businesses to enter a major offshore market.
• working with Callaghan Innovation and NZTE to ensure that New Zealand’s agritech sector takes full advantage of the upcoming Trans-Tasman agritech conference, evokeAG. This is being held in Melbourne from 19–20 February 2019.
• designing a major one day event during Fieldays 2019 to showcase the best of New Zealand agritech to our farmers, growers and orchardists, as well as international delegates. This will take place in the Bledisloe Centre at Mystery Creek on 13 June 2019.
• establishing working groups that address key challenges facing the primary sector. These groups will make recommendations to Government for potential policy and regulation setting changes, where appropriate, to improve the productivity and sustainability of the sector.
• supporting a major new initiative to identify disruptive technologies in nutrients; both from a standpoint of application, measurement and efficiency, as well as novel nutrient technologies such as microbiome/soil health technologies.

There is plenty more in the pipeline and I will be working with Agritech New Zealand’s Executive Council so we can soon share more of our work programme plans.

Later this month, I will be travelling to the AgTech Nexus Europe conference in Dublin. I will be meeting several prominent members of the Farm2050 collective and meeting representatives of Enterprise Ireland to discuss participation in next year’s Irish Ploughing Championships. This is a major opportunity for New Zealand’s dairy tech sector.

I look forward to reporting back from Ireland next month, in what will be the final Agritech New Zealand newsletter for 2018.

Ngā mihi

Peter Wren-Hilton

Executive Director

Welcoming our new members this month
Blinc Innovation
Callaghan Innovation
Cucumber
Data Engineers
Farmlands Cooperative
Fonterra Cooperative
Gallagher Group
HGM Legal
Information Power (Vinea Software)
IoA
KPMG
Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC)
Meander
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Enterprise (MBIE)
New Zealand National Fieldays
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE)
New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF)
NZ Controls
Onfarm Data
PAANZ
Priority One
Regen
Spacebase
Spark New Zealand
Sprout Accelerator
VirtualSpace
Woodhaven Gardens
Zag (Solitus NZ)
Zespri

NZ HI-TECH AWARDS – Open for entries soon!

UpStarters – Share our Tech Story

NEWS

Did you know that Canterbury has over 70% of New Zealand’s irrigated land? Learn more at Blinc Innovation’s Creating a Sustainable Farming Future at the New Zealand Agricultural Show, 14-15 November in Canterbury. Seminars include biosecurity, innovation and water resilience.

Connect with the New Zealand delegation at evokeAG, 19-20 February, 2019 in Melbourne. Discussions include AgData, AI, food provenance, robotic farming, new value chains and more. Early bird tickets have been extended till 11 November.

Join the New Zealand IoT Alliance’s first Connect Event on 20 November in Auckland. Discussion includes security analysis and IoT at the edge

Register for the 2019 Sprout Accelerator cohort. Entries for the inaugural #TechRocketshipANZ close 23 November.

In international news, New Zealand has once again topped the World Bank’s ranking of the best country to start and run a business!

Missed Microsoft’s Future Now event in Auckland last month? Watch the keynote talks here. Also, view the highlights from the TIN100 report.

Learn more about Google’s AI for Social Good programme, including the AI Impact Challenge, to help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges! Applications close 22 January.

Entries for the 2019 Hi-Tech Awards open on 3 December. Join the launch events on 28 November in Auckland, 5 December in Wellington and 6 December in Christchurch. Save the date for the Awards Gala Dinner on 24 May in Auckland.

Agritech New Zealand is a membership funded organisation, so if you are not already a member, please consider joining us.  Have you been forwarded this newsletter?  Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.

Following the signing of two major strategic partnerships with Farm2050 and Western Growers, Agritech New Zealand is working on a number of exciting new initiatives.  The partnerships provide an opportunity to rapidly scale all aspects of New Zealand’s AgriTech ecosystem including research, industry, government and investment.
 
To provide a better understanding of these opportunities, Agritech New Zealand is hosting a nationwide roadshow in October.  We plan to provide insights into how local AgriTech businesses can take part in these initiatives.
 
Join the roadshow in your city and meet Agritech New Zealand, Callaghan Innovation and our local hosts to learn more about how your organisation can benefit from:

• connecting with major New Zealand Tech Alliance members including the AI Forum, BioTechNZ, IoT Alliance and NZTech.
• engaging with Callaghan Innovation to support your research and development capability.
• the global collective of venture capital firms that comprise, Farm2050.
• the strategic partnership with Western Growers, the largest network of fresh produce farmers and growers in North America.  Can you leverage this unique market opportunity for your tech?
• participating in the evokeAG conference. Are you ready to export to the Australian market?
• joining working groups and workshops focussed on major issues affecting the country’s primary sector and technology’s role in addressing them.
• meeting and engaging with key stakeholders in New Zealand’s emerging AgriTech space.

Register to attend this free event series on 9 October in Palmerston North, 12 October in Wellington, 15 October in Nelson, 16 October in Lincoln, 19 October in Dunedin, 23 October in Hamilton, 24 October in Auckland and 25 October in Tauranga.
 
Our roadshow is about you and how we can help grow your business, so please reserve your free ticket today!  
 
As we tour New Zealand, we look forward to meeting you and showing you how Agritech New Zealand is connecting, promoting and advancing AgriTech.
 
Ngā mihi
Peter Wren-Hilton
Executive Director

NZ Cyber Security Summit – Explore the Issues

UpStarters – Share our Tech Story

NEWS

Early bird tickets are now available for evokeAG , 19-20 February, 2019 in Melbourne.  Conversations include AgData, AI, food provenance, robotic farming, new value chains and more.  Learn more.

Calling all New Zealand AgriTech startups embracing practical application of new tech.  Apply to enter evokeAG’s Pitch Tent by Friday 28 September and you could win free flights and accommodation to Melbourne!  

Make the most of Expo 2020 Dubai, with NZTE’s Gulf Opportunities Showcase in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch in October.

Register for the 2019 Sprout Accelerator.  The five month accelerator is designed for AgriTech startups.  Learn what’s involved, eligibility, how it works and other FAQs.

With over 700 incidents in the last quarter, New Zealand is facing a growing number of cyber incidentsas reported in CERT’s latest quarterly update.  CERT’s Cyber Smart Week is 8-12 October.  Check out their new resources and become an official partner.

Is your company ready to scale up with international growth? Enter the inaugural #TechRocketshipANZAwards.  Categories include clean growth, feeding the nation, tech for change and more.  Entries close 23 November.  

Discover the practical applications of Blockchain technology.  Blockworksis 12 October in Auckland.  Save these 2019 event dates; Tech Marketers conference on 28 February, AI-Day on 28 March andTechweek 20-26 May.

Agritech New Zealand is a membership funded organisation, so if you are not already a member, please consider joining us.  Have you been forwarded this newsletter?  Receive your own copy each month, simply subscribe here.

Visit our website for more news, events and opportunities!