Bay of Plenty firms crowd out NZ Innovation Awards

Bay of Plenty firms crowd out NZ Innovation Awards

MEDIA RELEASE: Monday 17 October 2016.

The who’s who of the most innovative businesses in the country have been recognised with the recent announcement of the finalists in the 2016 New Zealand Innovation Awards. This year four iconic Bay of Plenty companies have been nominated a massive 13 times over nine award categories.

The New Zealand Innovation Awards recognise innovation in the areas of design and engineering, agribusiness, food and beverage, technology solutions, marketing and communications, research and sustainability, as well as the Exporter of the Year and the Young New Zealand Innovator categories.

Zespri’s new SunGold kiwifruit has been nominated in five different categories, including Exporter of the Year, followed by Robotics Plus, which has four nominations. This includes Alistair Scarfe, director and design engineer at Robotics Plus, who has made the shortlist for the Young New Zealand Innovator of the Year award. In addition, organic vanilla products manufacturer, Heilala Vanilla, and electronic metering and control equipment producer, Bluelab Corporation, have made the list of finalists in two award categories.

Brett Hewlett, Chair of Priority One, says it’s great to see local businesses recognised across so many categories in this year’s awards. “Over the last few years we have seen a significant increase in entrepreneurial activity in the Bay of Plenty, and we have a lot to be proud of. This is putting the region on the map nationally and internationally as a place where innovation is happening, which in turn means that other entrepreneurial businesses also want to be based here.”

Priority One’s Executive Board would like to congratulate all of the Bay of Plenty businesses named as finalists in these auspicious awards. We wish them the best of luck for the awards night, which will be celebrated with a gala dinner on Thursday 20 October at the SkyCity Convention Centre in Auckland.

About Priority One

Priority One is the economic development agency covering Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty. Its key focus is on building the sub-region’s competitive advantages in the attraction and retention of high value businesses and the talented workforce those businesses need.

ENDS

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