Transformational Funding for Industry

MEDIA RELEASE

HEAVY ENGINEERING RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 2PM WEDNESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2012

Transformational Funding for Industry

The Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) today received notification of funding from the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment’s, High Value Manufacturing and Services, investment round. The announced funding is the government’s initial 2 year cornerstone contribution to a longer term co-operative research programme between HERA, metals engineering industry companies and research partners University of Canterbury and University of Auckland. The annual government contribution of close to $1M is matched by industry and research partners’ own contribution to the program and demonstrates the commitment of both government and industry, to have within 5 years; New Zealand sourced Organic Ranking Cycle (ORC) based power generation products on the market.

HERA Director, Dr. Wolfgang Scholz welcomed the news, “As an industry driven initiative, our Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technology Research is market driven and reflects industries’ outward looking export focus. This program will bring together research capability from across New Zealand and support international collaboration while providing a platform for the development of New Zealand technology offerings.”

HERA Chairman, Mr. Peter Hutton, said that, “Government working in partnership with Industry can bring about transformational change. I hope this is the beginning of a strong relationship between Industry, Government and research capability that will underpin the innovation required for companies to develop market leading technology products for export.”

HERA is an industry owned and governed, not for profit, research organisation, representing 600 member companies in the metals engineering industry. It works to ensure that industry has the support it requires through conducting research, providing training and through a range of industry development activities.

The research supported by this grant, dovetails with HERA’s wider market driven, Industry Development Roadmap Process and reinforces New Zealand’s international geothermal capability offerings.

ENDS

For more information on HERA visit : www.hera.org.nz

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