Talking Innovation

In this episode of Talking Innovation, Jonathan Prince sits down with Gareth Dykes and Derek Manson from Fi Innovations, a Southland business that has evolved across four generations from ornate plaster ceilings to fibreglass, industrial flooring, composites, and now advanced additive manufacturing. Gareth shares the family story, the challenges of inheriting a one-customer business, and the decis...

Dr Shayne Gooch’s career spans more than three decades across trade, academia and consulting. From his early days as a fitter and turner in New Zealand’s power sector to leading the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury, Shayne has built a career grounded in both hands-on experience and deep technical understanding. In this episode of Talking Innovation , host Jonath...

Snapcore, led by Chris Rodley, transforms fisheries andaquaculture using AI. Their digital twin technology  offers real-time insights for marine farms, boosting yield and sustainability. Featuring "Made in New Zealand" Snap AI camera systems, their reach extends globally. With ventures like Seaweave, Rodley aims to connect fishers and farmers to customers, ensuring transparent, high-quality produc...

Over four decades ago, Murray Mulcahy founded Mulcahy Engineering with a vision to offer clients a total manufacturing solution. Today, his son Kayne Mulcahy leads the company and maintains that innovative spirit. From its humble beginnings as a 5-person shop doing manual processing, Mulcahy has grown into a powerhouse with 140 employees and a 6,000 square meter plant in West Auckland. Mulcahy ser...

For over four decades, Mark Pennington has been a driving force in New Zealand's design industry. Talking Innovation with Mark covers iconic chairs to groundbreaking partnerships, education to Grand Designs … we explore his early influences, career highlights, and vision for the future of design and innovation. Discover how his strategic thinking and commitment to sustainability have shaped no...

15 years ago Mike Shatford saw a gap in the market for product design, production engineering and industrial automation using robotics, mechanics, and mechatronics. He founded Design Energy and, over that time, has found a sweet spot in the use of industrial robots to solve complex production automation problems. They’ve now designed and built more than 100 unique robotic solutions for Kiwi busine...

Timothy Allan is a bit of a guru on multiple levels … product design, branding, sustainability, leadership. He’s recently handed over the CEO reigns of UBCO electric bikes and is enjoying a bit more time to explore the outdoors with his family. Meanwhile, he’s a Strategic Mentor for Cucumber, a Tauranga-based tech company; a Startup Mentor for business development service Soda; a Fellow of the Sir...

Brad Hurndell has amassed a wealth of experience in the last 20 years … taking him to the cutting edge of camera technology. One of the highlights: seeing his product strapped to a jet in the latest Top Gun movie (Maverick) … withstanding the insane forces of 700kph, barrel rolls, and flips … capturing footage that will be enjoyed by millions around the world. After 20 years and extreme success, B...

From humble Canterbury beginnings to a $50M operation in 20 years, Andrew Barclay has led WYMA Solutions to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of post-harvest vegetable and fruit handling equipment. They design, manufacture, install, and service post-harvest equipment for pack houses around the world. WYMA’s mainstay product is the Vege-Polisher They’re so good that, in some parts of...