Showcase shines a light on Kiwi tech ingenuity

Ministers and MPs attend inaugural Microsoft
Parliamentary Showcase

WELLINGTON, New
Zealand, 24 June 2019
– New Zealand’s political
leaders were treated to a showcase of Kiwi tech innovation
at Parliament on Wednesday 19 June, after the Minister of
Government Digital Services, the Hon Dr Megan Woods, invited
Microsoft to present its first ever Parliamentary Showcase.
Aiming to demonstrate the achievements of local innovators
and inspire policymakers to explore new ideas, Microsoft
also revealed research that shows its partners alone
generate billions of dollars for the local economy.

“New
research by Capitalis shows Microsoft’s New Zealand
partner ecosystem includes around 2,300 partners, nearly 90
per cent of which are small businesses. These businesses
cover every region of New Zealand, employing more than
21,000 Kiwis,” said Barrie Sheers, Managing Director of
Microsoft New Zealand.

“New Zealand, like the rest of
the world, is facing an era of profoundly disruptive
environmental, social and economic change. New technologies
will play a critical role in driving these changes, but also
open up opportunities.”

Attendees including event
sponsor Hon Dr Megan Woods, Hon Nikki Kaye and MPs Brett
Hudson and Parmjeet Parmar, were shown around five
“hubs” demonstrating outstanding projects with potential
to change our planet and transform education.

Reflecting
the Government’s increased focus on carbon-neutrality,
sustainability was a major focus of the event. Camden
Howitt, co-founder of Sustainable Coastlines, joined
software developers Enlighten Designs to show how artificial
intelligence is boosting communities’ efforts to combat
waste on our beaches. Their innovation was recognised by the
award of an AI for Earth grant by Microsoft President Brad
Smith, on his recent visit to New Zealand.

Rising concern
about the environment and population pressures is also
behind new technology finding ways to grow food more
efficiently as well as more sustainably. The Food and
Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations predicts
food production requirements will need to increase by almost
50% (other estimates say 70%) from 2012 production
levels.

Head of Operations Jeff Brown and Chief Technology
Officer Jourdan Templeton of Aware Group demonstrated how
Microsoft’s FarmBeats drone and sensor technology combined
with Artificial Intelligence provides sustainable farming
insights and increased yields. Aware Group have brought the
FarmBeats technology to New Zealand, and it is also being
used in the US, Brazil, Kenya and India, helping farmers and
growers make the most of natural resources using less water,
fertilisers or herbicides.

Education was the other strong
theme of the event. Ross McHugh, Senior Public Sector
Account Executive from LinkedIn Learning, highlighted how
the organisation is helping increase access to learning via
online courses available free through participating public
libraries.

Representatives from Unify Solutions and the
Ministry of Education detailed an award-winning project that
provided secure online access for more than 70,000 members
of the education sector, with educational games designer Joy
Business Academy rounding out the line-up with a
demonstration of how gaming can boost student engagement
while building essential skills.

“We are all living
through extraordinary times, of both incredible change and
challenge. However, what’s astonishing to me is how adept
our small nation is at navigating these changes,” said
Sheers.

“The reason it’s so exciting to be invited to
an event such as this is that collaboration is going to be
the key to addressing these issues, harnessing that
technology and unlocking our
potential.”

ends

© Scoop Media

 

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