N E W S Top Brisbane universities to co-host Australasian fluid mechanics conference Brisbane will welcome hundreds of scientists, engineers, students and educators in 2020 following a competitive bid for the 22nd Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference to be co-hosted by two of the city’s leading universities. The conference will be held across four days at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and The University of Queensland (UQ), attracting up to 450 participants and generating around $1.1 million in economic impact for Brisbane. Academics from QUT and UQ – which both moved higher in the recent QS World University Rankings 2018 - prepared the successful bid with support from the Brisbane Convention Bureau. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk welcomed the win, which will mark the biennial conference’s first return to Brisbane since it was last held here in 1980. “The 22nd Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference will see top minds in the field present and discuss the latest trends and findings, and will showcase the research strengths and expertise in our new world city,” Cr Quirk says. “As one of the world’s most welcoming cities, Brisbane has a strong reputation for hosting international meetings and provides an ever-increasing list of leisure and cultural activities for delegates to enjoy pre and post the conference.” President of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society, Professor Hugh Blackburn says Brisbane’s accessibility and appeal as a vibrant global city, the universities’ highquality facilities and expertise, and a focus on gender equality all contributed to the successful bid. www.engineeringnews.co.nz 9 Kiwis’ IoT uptake need improving Only 14% of large New Zealand businesses have deployed any IoT says NZTech chief executive and chair of the New Zealand IoT Alliance Graeme Muller. New Zealand is well positioned for the Internet of Things (IoT), such as fast fibre, however the national tech leader urged for the country to do better. Around 70% think it will be strategically important but are concerned about potential costs and changes in technology, he says. “We are launching a collaborative national IoT research project report on June 29 which will unveil some major findings. Internationally, IoT will be one of the technology game changers.” He says that the project is being managed by the IoT Alliance and brings together major tech users, tech firms, the government, academia and industry groups such as NZTech, TUANZ and InternetNZ, all of whom have an interest in the potential impact of IoT for New Zealand. “We’re seeing billions of things all connecting with each other, analysing information and automating responses which will drive massive productivity improvements. It is predicted that 100 billion things will be connected to the internet by 2020. “As we start using IoT we will start to learn from each other and find new ways of driving our traditional businesses. There are gains to be had in every sector as sensors and data identify new and improved ways of doing things. In dairy farming alone, better use of IoT could be worth $448 million in economic benefit to the country.” Mr Muller explains that IoT connected data will not only help drive economic growth, but can also be used to make New Zealand safer and to improve social outcomes and that the government’s role is to act as a catalyst and to ensure all the right building blocks like security and connectivity remain in place. “IoT will soon become critical to helping New Zealand raise its productivity and prosperity. Much of the initial hype around IoT has been derived from consumer IoT such as fitness trackers and intelligent fridges. The real value to be had from the Internet of Things is in enterprise and government applications. “IoT presents a massive opportunity for technology to drive New Zealand’s economic growth. Yet to accelerate deployment and uptake, a better understanding of the opportunities is needed. “Compared to the G20 nations, New Zealand scores well for IoT readiness due to ease of doing business, government stability, regulatory quality, a good innovation ecosystem and education system,” Mr Muller says. Initial economic analysis has identified potential economic benefits in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the New Zealand economy through the deployment of IoT in sectors as diverse as agriculture, utilities, manufacturing, logistics and smart city services. Science awards to include engineering A new development will enable engineering scientists and professionals to enter this year’s Kudos Science Excellence Awards. Engineering company Simcro joins stalwart Kudos partners, University of Waikato, Hamilton City Council, Wintec, Waikato Regional Council, Hill Laboratories, King St Advertising and Waikato DHB in supporting science discovery and innovation from Hamilton and the Waikato. With the help of their major partners they have awarded $300,000 in cash prizes to top scientists from around the region. They have also presented many past winners with the valuable opportunity to travel overseas and increase their international profile. To enter or nominate visit: www.thekudos.org.nz
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