This year is the 40th Anniversary of the relationship between Fukuoka and Auckland. The Auckland-Fukuoka sister city agreement was signed in 1986 to encourage cultural understanding and to promote connectivity in education, culture, tourism and trade.The current focus of the relationship is on collaboration on innovative business – particularly fostering innovation thought startup support. Auckland will a delegation from Fukuoka in late July, with activities including a pitch event at GridAKL for startups interested in the Auckland and Fukuoka markets. We encourage any interested startups to get in touch. Auckland Council introduced the Embassy to Fukuoka Growth Next (FGN) who facilitated the visit. Shun Ono, FGN, and Fukuoka officials attended the inaugural Auckland Startup Week in October last year and will be supporting the visit in July.

The new routes will begin progressively from late October, with Christchurch-Singapore launching on October 28, Christchurch-Tokyo (Narita International Airport) commencing on November 28, and Christchurch-Perth starting on November 30, subject to regulatory approval.

In an absorbing presentation, Margaret Cooney outlined the technology-driven approach that Octopus Energy brings to the New Zealand’s electricity market using smart tariffs, data platforms and flexible pricing to help customers reduce costs and shift electricity use to off-peak times. Click on the post for more details.

The New Zealand Hydrogen Council was formed in September 2018 by private and public sector organisations with seed funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to support the progression and uptake of low emission hydrogen in New Zealand. They are New Zealand’s leading hydrogen agency. They are an intrinsic part of New Zealand’s emerging hydrogen industry as well as an important link to the opportunities that are evolving globally.

ElaraGrid delivers market-leading energy management solutions to commercial and industrial clients across New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Serving a diverse range of sectors — including manufacturing, wood and fibre processing, cold storage, ports, and large-scale facilities including education, health, and retail campuses — ElaraGrid brings deep expertise to the complex energy challenges facing modern industry.

OpenStar Technologies is pioneering the development of the levitated dipole concept, a simplified fusion energy approach proven viable in under two years for less than $10M. OpenStar combines rapid iteration, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to public engagement to accelerate clean fusion energy to the grid.