Future of technology on show at Waikato Technology Showcase

MEDIA RELEASE - for immediate release

9 February 2017

Future of technology on show at Waikato Technology Showcase

The future of all things cyber, wireless and electronic will be on show this month at the inaugural Waikato Technology Showcase at Waikato Innovation Park on 16 February.

The day-long event features talks, workshops and exhibitions from some of Waikato’s best-known IT organisations, researchers, and entrepreneurs. It will also include the official launch of CultivateIT, Waikato’s new IT cluster.

Exhibitors at the showcase include Callaghan Innovation, 3D vision solutions company Chronoptics, Cybersecurity Researchers of Waikato (CROW), multidisciplinary design consultancy Designwell, software companies Adroit Creations and LayerX, and wireless engineers Virscient.

Business Manager at Waikato Innovation Park, Craig Purcell, says the technology showcase is all about showing off the breadth of IT expertise and up-and-coming talent in the Waikato region.

“Our IT experts, graduates and technologies are sought after around the world, and this showcase is about bringing it all together for a day to really show off what we’re about,” says Mr Purcell.

“It’s all really high-end technology we’re talking about. There’ll be a few surprises for people coming along and definitely some things we won’t have seen, or even thought about before.” he says.

Waikato’s new IT cluster, CultivateIT, will be officially launched at the showcase.

Formed late 2016, the cluster brings together IT companies and SMEs and the knowledge and expertise of technology professionals in the Waikato.

Hamilton businesswoman Rachel Kelly, who is deputy chair of the NZTech Industry Association, was involved with the cluster’s start-up. She says CultivateIT acts as a collective voice, showcasing regional technology innovation and enabling closer collaboration to attract national and overseas contracts.

“Better collaboration between industry, the community and local government is a crucial first step towards showcasing what Waikato has to offer,” says Ms Kelly, who has returned to New Zealand after spending nine years in the California high-tech manufacturing industry.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the depth of technology talent we have in this region, and a bit disappointed at how underestimated it is on a national scale. I’m looking forward to seeing events like the technology showcase highlight our regional tech capability.”

Speakers at the showcase include Dr Ryan Ko, Dr Dean Armstrong and Adrian Dorrington.

Dr Ko is head of Cyber Security Researchers of Waikato (CROW) and senior lecturer in cyber security at the University of Waikato, where he established New Zealand’s first cyber security lab and cyber security graduate research programme. Dr Armstrong is founder and Chief Technical Officer of wireless connectivity and Internet of Things specialist Virscient, and Mr Dorrington is co-founder and Chief Technical Officer at Chronoptics Ltd, a start-up developing advanced 3D vision solutions for Time-of-Flight camera systems.

The Waikato Technology Showcase is on Thursday 16 February at Waikato Innovation Park, 9 Melody Lane (off Ruakura Rd) in Hamilton, 9.15am – 3.15pm. The event is free, but registrations are encouraged on Eventbrite.co.nz by searching Waikato Technology Showcase.

You can also follow the event on Twitter #WIPTechShow

-ENDS-

About Waikato Innovation Park
Waikato Innovation Park opened in 2004 in Ruakura to provide a dynamic business campus where collaboration between business and research organisations drives commercial growth. The Park was established with public and charitable trust money and contributes to economic development through supporting business growth in the export value chain. The Park is home to over 40 companies employing more than 400 people on site, and in 2015 its collective earnings were close to $300 million.
www.wipltd.co.nz

About CultivateIT
Launched in 2017, CultivateIT was formed to connect and nurture technology talent in the Waikato. It aims to maximise business opportunities for member organisations and advance the Waikato technology sector. Formed for the Waikato IT sector, by the Waikato IT sector, CultivateIT strives to open collaboration and cooperation to leverage the growing technology talent in the Waikato region.
www.cultivateit.nz

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