Craigs Investment Partners (“Craigs” or “the Firm”), a leading wealth management firm in New Zealand, today announced that TA Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm, has signed a conditional agreement to make a strategic investment in the Firm. Under the agreement, Craigs’ existing employee and director shareholders will retain 50 percent ownership of the Firm, partnering closely with TA.
“TA is an ideal partner to support Craigs’ growth ambitions and ongoing commitment to client outcomes given its significant global experience investing in wealth management, and its strong understanding of the regional market,” said Simon Tong, CEO of Craigs. “Craigs and TA are aligned on a client-first philosophy and the importance of a personalised approach to wealth management. Client outcomes remain our top priority, and there will be no change in the people or our approach to providing outstanding service to our clients.”
The partnership between Craigs and TA aims to further enhance Craigs’ position as a leader in the New Zealand wealth management market while enabling its continued expansion. Leveraging over 50 years of experience helping high-quality companies grow, TA will provide deep industry knowledge, strategic resources and a robust global network to accelerate Craigs’ growth strategy.
“This is an exciting opportunity that connects our local team with TA’s extensive global experience in wealth management, supporting our ability to deliver enhanced outcomes for clients in an increasingly dynamic environment. Access to TA’s international network, best practices and insights will help us elevate our services while maintaining the personalised approach that sets us apart,” Tong continued.
“Over the past 40 years, Craigs has established itself as one of the largest and most respected wealth management firms in New Zealand, offering a comprehensive range of personalised wealth advice and services to its clients,” said Edward Sippel, head of TA Associates Asia Pacific Ltd. and a Managing Director at TA. “We deeply respect this history and are honoured to support the Firm’s continued growth strategy and commitment to delivering best-in-class client outcomes.”
“TA has a long history of partnering with world-class wealth managers like Craigs” said Lily Xu, Vice President at TA. “We are excited to collaborate with the entire Craigs team to expand the Firm’s reach, continue enhancing its service offerings, and explore strategic M&A opportunities.”
The agreement remains subject to certain approvals being obtained, including Court approval, Craigs’ shareholder approval and Overseas Investment Office (‘OIO’) consent. Settlement is expected to occur late in the first quarter of 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed. https://craigsip.com/
One NZ will begin contacting eligible customers today, with the initial service set to expand as more devices are added soonTXT messages will take longer to be sent and received, with the initial service improving as more satellites are launchedOne NZ Satellite TXT provides an additional layer of protection for New Zealand’s traditional communication networks, and is not a replacement for existing emergency tools
Today the One NZ Satellite TXT initial service begins rolling out to customers on eligible phones and plans at no extra cost, helping One NZ to deliver mobile coverage like never before where you have clear line of sight to the sky.
Joe Goddard, Experience & Commercial Director at One NZ, says: “We have lift-off! I’m incredibly proud that One NZ is the first telecommunications company globally to launch a nationwide Starlink Direct to Mobile service, and One NZ customers are among the first in the world to begin using this groundbreaking technology.
“We've worked with Starlink to provide coverage across Aotearoa, including to the around 40% of NZ’s landmass that is not covered by traditional mobile networks – plus approximately 20 kilometres out to sea.
“Right from the start we’ve said we would keep customers updated with our progress to launch in 2024 and as the technology develops. Today is a significant milestone in that journey.”
The first four eligible phones and plans confirmed
Eligible customers with a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and OPPO Find X8 Pro will be contacted directly to let them know they can start using One NZ Satellite from today – with the list of eligible phones set to expand throughout 2025. Current consumer Pay Monthly plans will include One NZ Satellite TXT for no extra charge, including Companion Group Plans, and current Endless Business mobile plans.
“We continue to test the capabilities of One NZ Satellite TXT, and this is an initial service that will get better. For example, text messages will take longer to send but will get quicker over time. We’re beginning with small number of phones as part of the staggered rollout of the technology. And critically, from today customers can send and receive text messages only, but in the future, we expect voice calling and data to also be available.”
One NZ testing indicates in many cases during the initial rollout period, text messages will be sent and received within 3 minutes. However, at times it may take 10 minutes or longer to send and receive a text message via satellite, especially during the first few months. As the service matures and more satellites are launched, we expect text messages to take a minute on average to be delivered via space.
“This is a generational change in mobile technology, just like 4G or 5G. Not only will you be able to message family and friends from parts of our beautiful country that you never thought possible, but soon this will open up new opportunities in IoT (Internet of Things) for sectors like agriculture, tourism, logistics and many more that power our economy here in NZ.
“Furthermore, One NZ Satellite TXT has the potential to provide another layer of resilience in public emergencies when traditional mobile and fixed networks are affected, like what happened during Cyclone Gabrielle,” adds Goddard. “This is still emerging technology, but T-Mobile US tested some of its capabilities during Hurricane Milton in October, which is the only other time this technology has been opened up to customers so far.”
Peak Connection
To showcase the potential of this technology, Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandson, George Hillary has conducted another significant test of the One NZ Satellite TXT service, giving it his seal of approval.
With a clear line of sight to the sky, he sent a message to his brother Alex Hillary, General Manager of the Himalayan Trust, from the top of Mount Head, one of the most remote peaks in the Forbes Mountains in Otago.
George Hillary says: “The potential of this technology is mind-blowing. I’m used to being pretty limited from a communications perspective when hiking or on an adventure. I always take an emergency beacon in case things go wrong, but now also having the ability to send and receive text messages is huge. I can contact a friend for help or give climbing updates to my family while away.
“And if you’re wondering what the text said – I went with the line ‘Knocked another milestone off! Made it up safe.’”
Joe Goddard explains: “Talk about peak coverage! With Earth’s horizon in reaching distance, Sir Edmund Hillary’s mountaineering grandson George Hillary is proving the sky is not the limit on One NZ’s satellite to mobile service. He put our initial satellite service through another test, at an altitude of 8,480ft – a text, quite literally, sent from the middle of nowhere.
“It’s important to note that the One NZ Satellite TXT service is not a replacement for existing emergency tools, and instead adds another communication option.”
As part of the launch, One NZ is donating to the Himalayan Trust, founded by Sir Edmund and Louise Hillary to inspire New Zealanders to support those living in another remote part of the world, the Everest region of Nepal.
Helping to better connect New Zealanders in partnership with Starlink
The One NZ Satellite TXT service is being delivered in partnership with Starlink Direct to Mobile, which is engineered by SpaceX. SpaceX is leveraging its experience in manufacturing and launching the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink satellites with the Direct to Cell capability at scale.
This is trailblazing technology that covers dead zones, and One NZ is one of a handful of telecommunications companies globally who has signed up to offer this service to customers, at no cost to the taxpayer.
Joe Goddard outlines: “For New Zealanders who like getting out into our great outdoors – or for people who need to travel along state highways and beyond for work – the reality is that many parts of the country lack traditional mobile coverage.
“The list of eligible phones will start with four handsets at launch and expand soon as we continue our extensive testing. Our teams continue to test the service on additional phones, and we expect hundreds of thousands of customers to be able to use One NZ Satellite TXT by the end of 2025.”
For more information about One NZ Satellite TXT, please visit: one.nz/spacex
The age of hyperscale cloud has arrived in Aotearoa, bringing unprecedented opportunities for local organisations. The opening of Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud region marks the most significant milestone in the company’s nearly 40-year history in New Zealand. Microsoft will support New Zealanders to make the most of this opportunity by training 100,000 people over the next two years with AI and digital skills, creating long-term benefits for the economy.
Sustainable growth for New Zealand – carbon-free and water-free cooling
The datacenter region brings the best of Microsoft’s sustainability investments and will be supported by 100% carbon-free electricity as a result of the 10-year agreement that Microsoft signed with Contact Energy (Contact) for the Renewable Attributes produced by Te Huka 3 geothermal power station.
The long-term contract with Microsoft supported Contact’s investment decision to construct the Te Huka 3 power station and can generate 51.4 megawatts of reliable and renewable generation throughout the year. This deal helps add carbon-free energy into the Aotearoa grid.
Microsoft’s Aotearoa datacenter will also use water-free cooling, ensuring data is stored at the right temperature using air cooling.
Microsoft is also supporting Community Waitākere to work alongside the local community to restore the biodiversity values and mauri of the threatened stream, floodplain, and wetland habitats in the Paremuka Stream catchment. Additionally, Microsoft, Community Waitākere and the Society for Ecological Restoration are working together to restore Harbourview-Orangihina Park’s native ecosystems including freshwater wetlands, saltmarsh, and native coastal forest. The project aims to protect rare bird species and preserve the area’s cultural significance, supporting its sustainability for future generations.
Investment means opportunity The investment offers incredible opportunity for New Zealand. Microsoft’s recent Accenture research identified that gen AI adoption is expected to add $76 billion to the New Zealand economy by 2038, based on a standard trajectory. The report pointed at cloud infrastructure and public cloud adoption as one of the key enablers to making the most of gen AI to boost our productivity and GDP.
“We are a small but mighty nation of visionaries who have propelled our business innovation, incredible sports teams, and amazing entertainment into worldwide brands. So many New Zealand companies are going global, and having this infrastructure here in Aotearoa is going to help many more innovators to realise their ambitions and show the rest of the world how creative and talented we can be,” says Vanessa Sorenson, Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand.
Skilling Aotearoa for the future: Technology alone is not enough without skilling
We recognise the importance of unlocking the benefits of AI for every New Zealander — at every career stage, in every role, and in every community. We are focused on empowering 100,000 learners by 2027 to build digital and AI skills.
This builds on various skilling programmes and partnerships that Microsoft has supported in New Zealand with local partners, educators and customers since the cloud region was announced.
The 10KWomen Initiative created by a passionate group of volunteers, set out in 2022 to empower 10,000 female students, workers and career-changers to explore careers that require digital skills and to break down the barriers preventing more women from exploring these careers. In September, we had reached more than 10,700 women and girls.
Microsoft and Te Pūkenga are also partnering to address talent shortages in West Auckland’s creative technology sector by providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities, particularly for underrepresented groups such as Māori, Pacific peoples and women. The initiative supports an inclusive workforce through upskilling kaiako in secondary schools and kura kaupapa, offering micro-credentials to high school students and providing micro-credentials to lifelong learners re-entering the workforce.
Protecting New Zealand data as a local taonga
Having a hyperscale cloud region in Aotearoa enables local organisations to store, process and back-up their data on New Zealand’s shores.
Local customers also benefit from the threat protections afforded by an intelligence network that has visibility of 78 trillion signals per day. This means New Zealand government and businesses can be both locally hosted, and globally protected.
Te Tumu Paeroa, the Office of the Māori Trustee, says this maintains the residency of the Māori data for which they are a kaitiaki in Aotearoa, while enabling them to leverage Microsoft’s advanced security, sustainability and world-leading AI technologies for the benefit of landowners in their role as kaitiaki and administrators for Māori land trusts across Aotearoa.
“We have a whakatauki (proverb): Aho roroa uaua hautū, aho popoto hautū marika – A kite with a short string is easier to control, and a kite with a long string is more difficult to control – but it benefits from the high wind. This agreement means we can have those high winds and the short string, enjoying the comfort and peace of having the data close, while being able to engage more easily with owners and support partners,” says Ruth Russell, Kaitautari Pārongo Matua | Chief Information Officer for Te Tumu Paeroa.
Supporting more innovation from Aotearoa to the world
Above all, the decision to build a hyperscale cloud region in New Zealand is intended to enable local innovators to grow on a global scale and deliver more to their customers and stakeholders. We’re proud to be supporting a host of New Zealand organisations to modernise and realise their ambitions, including Fonterra, Craigs Investment Partners, ASB, BNZ, ACC, Whakarongorau Aotearoa, Auckland Transport, SMX and The Warehouse Group, alongside trusted partners such as PwC, Veeam, AvePoint and CCL.
Source: https://news.microsoft.com/
AUCKLAND, New Zealand and AUSTIN, Texas – December 2, 2024 – Packet capture authority, Endace, announced today that the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has certified EndaceProbes on its Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List (DoDIN APL). DISA maintains the DoDIN APL, a single, consolidated list of certified products that meet strict cybersecurity and interoperability standards, as required by the US DoD and other US federal agencies. DoDIN APL-certified products must pass extensive, rigorous testing to meet stringent military-grade cybersecurity criteria mandated by DISA, including compliance with specified cybersecurity and interoperability best practices. Inclusion on the DoDIN APL means EndaceProbes may be deployed safely on defense networks with no further certification or testing required. All DoD and US federal agencies can now freely adopt EndaceProbe within their network infrastructure and architecture. “When seconds matter and lives are at stake, analysts need rapid access to definitive packet evidence to quickly respond to, and resolve, cyberthreats. Endace supports this mission with the uncompromised robustness and scale of the EndaceProbe’s always on packet capture, delivering vital evidence to defend against the most serious cyber threats,” said Cary Wright, VP of Products at Endace. “We are proud to have earned DoDIN APL certification. Achieving the rigorous standards demanded by DISA demonstrates Endace’s dedication to hardening and securing the EndaceProbe platform. Defense, Government and Enterprise customers globally will all benefit from EndaceProbes with military-grade security hardening.”
Many US federal departments, including defense, critical infrastructure, and civilian agencies – as well as many NATO agencies – have deployed EndaceProbes for deep network visibility and 100% accurate, always-on packet capture in their networks. With this APL certification, purchasing and approval becomes more streamlined, and easier, for US federal agencies looking to deploy EndaceProbes on their networks. It also makes it simpler for US federal agencies to comply with mandatory packet capture requirements, such as M-21-31.
EndaceProbes provide scalable, accurate, full packet capture and recording, with zero packet loss so security teams can quickly obtain the irrefutable packet evidence needed to investigate and resolve incidents. With centralized data mining and rapid search, centralized management, and workflow integration, EndaceProbes deliver deep visibility into both North-South and East-West network traffic and 100% accurate recording on network links from 10Mbps to 100Gbps and beyond, with industry-leading speed, density and storage capacity. Endace will be at NATO Edge in Tampa, Florida from December 3 – 5, 2024, exhibiting at Booth S13 and presenting a session titled “Countering Nation State Cyberthreats with Definitive Forensic Evidence.”
About Endace
Endace’s scalable, always-on packet capture gives Network Operations and Security teams the deep visibility they need for fast, accurate incident investigation with rich forensic evidence at their fingertips from all their tools. EndaceProbes provide enterprise-class packet sniffing in on-prem, public and private cloud environments, with rapid, centralized search and one-click access to full pcap data from leading security and performance solutions (including Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Cisco, Splunk, Elastic, and many others). Analyze network traffic using a single, unified console across all on-premise, private, or public cloud infrastructure for total hybrid cloud visibility. Capture every packet. See every threat. www.endace.com
For more information see www.endace.com or follow Endace on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Contact: pr@endace.com
The Inland Revenue has launched consultation on policy proposals to address an aspect of New Zealand’s foreign investment fund rules. By imposing tax on unrealised income the current rules could be deterring some people from choosing to settle in New Zealand. The proposal suggests allowing some migrants to pay tax on dividends and realised gains.
Consultation closes on 27 January 2025. Effect of the FIF rules on immigration: proposals for amendments
DHL Express expands footprint with new gateway in the South Island of New Zealand
The new facility represents a NZD42 million (EUR24 million) infrastructure investment and will cater to strong international shipment growth
This gateway will be DHL’s first 100% carbon neutral facility in the country
It supports South Island exporters and importers to grow international trade
Christchurch, New Zealand, 4 December 2024: DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, is investing in a new Christchurch gateway to better support the international trade of New Zealand businesses. Conveniently located airside at Christchurch international airport, the property represents an infrastructure investment of NZD42 million (EUR24 million) over 10 years, the facility is the largest investment made in the country and is a testament to DHL Express’s ongoing commitment to supporting Kiwi businesses in the South Island to trade internationally.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the Christchurch Gateway will measure 8,500 square meters, replacing the previous service point and gateway facility at Christchurch Airport. Combining these two functions under one roof will significantly improve operational efficiency. The new facility will be equipped with a line sorter conveyor system capable of processing up to 6,500 parcels per hour (PPH) for inbound shipments and 5,600 PPH for outbound shipments, along with high-speed X-ray screening capabilities.
The 2024 ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer results also revealed that more than half (58%) of New Zealand-based exporters expect their overseas orders to increase in 2025, a jump from 2023, when only 42% of exporters experienced growth. DHL is forecasting an average growth of 4-5% annually in the Christchurch region over the coming years and the Christchurch gateway will support this international predicted growth.
Commenting on the investment, DHL Express Managing Director, New Zealand & Pacific Islands, Mark Foy said, “Christchurch and the South Island of New Zealand is one of the fastest growing regions for DHL over the last five years. DHL has supported that strong growth with a daily Boeing 767 operation connecting New Zealand's South Island to the world. The new DHL gateway will have direct access to the tarmac which enables us to significantly improve shipment processing speed and help more Kiwi exporters and importers get their products to international markets.”
Sustainability at the core
Designed as a 100% carbon neutral build (CNB), the facility will be created and operated to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions over its entire lifecycle. This includes implementing energy efficiency measures, using renewable energy, offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, and incorporating sustainable building materials. With features like a solar photovoltaic system, electric vehicle charging stations, advanced energy metering, and integration with Christchurch airport’s campus-wide rainwater harvesting system, the facility will set a new benchmark for sustainability in logistics infrastructure. The landscaping will also focus on enhancing biodiversity by using regenerative New Zealand native species.
In addition to this carbon neutral build (CNB) initiative, DHL Express is also helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through GoGreen Plus. Introduced in 2023, the service uses an ‘insetting’ approach to help customers reduce carbon emissions using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Justin Watson, CEO of Christchurch Airport, added, “Our partnership with DHL is built on shared goals of driving international trade and providing world-class logistics solutions. This new facility is an important step forward for our airport as we expand our freight apron and is a testament to the importance of Dakota Park, our freight and logistics precinct, in connecting Kiwi businesses to the world.”
The new facility follows significant investments in ground infrastructure and the expansion of DHL’s air network over the past six years. These include the expansion of the Auckland airport gateway in 2016, the introduction of the Boeing 767-300 freighter flying between Auckland and Sydney in 2018, now operating with an additional stop in Christchurch, the opening of the new Auckland service center in 2019, the dedicated freighter serving the Melbourne–Auckland–Melbourne route introduced in 2020, and the two new service centers at Auckland airport and Hamilton in 2022. These investments mark significant steps DHL has taken to enhance service standards in response to the evolving needs of Kiwi businesses seeking international growth.
Note:
DHL –The logistics company for the world
DHLis the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about395,000employees in more than220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 81.8 billion euros in 2023. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.
Christchurch Airport is thrilled to welcome the return of United Airlines, with the first flight of the summer season touching down today at 10:35 AM on Friday, 6 December.
Following a positive inaugural season last summer, United's direct service from San Francisco, operated by their Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, will run three times a week, offering unparalleled convenience for Kiwis looking to make the only direct connection from the South Island to the USA. Last year the direct service to Christchurch increased the number of visitors to Te Waipounamu, the South Island, from the USA by almost 80%. The airport predicts similar numbers of American visitors this season; already, bookings are strong.
The return is a real vote of confidence for the South Island from United. The flight is part of a collaboration between United Airlines and Air New Zealand through their joint venture, and its success is down to three specific unique needs:
Tourism: The direct route aligns with the peak tourist season, providing American travellers with easy access to the South Island’s stunning landscapes and endless opportunities for adventure boosting the local tourism industry.
Antarctic Operations: The flight supports the travel of significant numbers of American and international scientists and technicians through Christchurch which is the primary gateway for the US Antarctic Programme.
Exports: The service enhances trade opportunities, cargo space is filling up fast with; New Zealand’s fresh exports like kiwifruit, fish, and meat destined for US markets.
Justin Watson, CE of Christchurch Airport, says: “United Airlines’ direct service from San Francisco is a game-changer for Christchurch and the South Island. It’s a stepping stone into the US and beyond, supports our exporters, and reinforces our role as a hub for Antarctic operations. We are delighted to see this partnership thrive.”
Tim Wallis, United Airlines Regional Manager, Australia and New Zealand, said:
“After a solid first season last year we are delighted to return this seasonal service to Christchurch, and we are excited to continue that airbridge between the United States and the South Island. This route showcases the demand for travel and trade, and we look forward to another promising season ahead.”
Thanks to United’s partnership with Air New Zealand, US travellers can enjoy easy connections to more than 30 destinations across New Zealand and the South Pacific and Kiwis can make the most of more than 125 destinations within the United States.
This seamless connectivity to San Francisco ensures Christchurch remains firmly on the map for tourism, science, and trade.
About Christchurch Airport: Christchurch Airport is the main gateway to the South Island of New Zealand, serving as a hub for both domestic and international flights. The airport is committed to delivering world-class services, enhancing the region's connectivity, and fulfilling the economic prosperity of New Zealand.
United Airlines has served New Zealand since 1986 and has direct flights to San Francisco from both Auckland and Christchurch giving Kiwis more options to explore the U.S.A. and beyond.
November 21, 2024
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
Good afternoon, everyone. It is a privilege to be here with you today and to talk a bit about the enduring and dynamic partnership between New Zealand and the United States.
As I am sure you are well aware, the American people made their voices heard in the presidential election and re-elected Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.
While I don’t have a crystal ball, sadly, and can’t speculate on future policies of a new administration, but what I want to stress today is the New Zealand-U.S. relationship is a relationship built on shared values, mutual respect, and a deep commitment to peace, prosperity, and progress.
In addition to the change of administrations at the top in Washington, we will also experience a change in leadership of the U.S. Mission in New Zealand. We have been privileged to have Ambassador Tom Udall for the past three years. Under his leadership we have accomplished much together to strengthen our bilateral relationship and ensure peace, security, and prosperity around the world.
As with any transition, now is a good opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved under his leadership over the past few years.
Since emerging from the dark days of COVID, we have seen the pace of engagement significantly increase, beginning at the top.
Prime Minister Ardern visited Washington in May 2022. Her meeting with President Biden advanced our partnership and set the tone for our work since then.
Likewise, President Biden met Prime Minister Luxon in Washington this past July at the NATO Summit.
Here in New Zealand, we welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Blinken for a visit in June 2023 to strengthen our bilateral ties. And Minister of Foreign Affairs Peters and Secretary Blinken issued a Joint Declaration on our partnership during his visit to Washington in April.
We have seen numerous other visits in both directions from members of our Cabinets, legislators, senior officials, and cultural representatives. I could go on and on.
Over the years, New Zealand and the United States have stood together with our likeminded partners and allies through every major global crisis.
We have worked together to respond to crises around the world like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, attacks against shipping in the Red Sea, the climate crisis, and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Our countries share a deep and long-standing commitment to democratic institutions, the rules-based international order, and respect for international rule of law. We have stood together in the UN and other forums to uphold those principles.
We also share a stake in preserving an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
To support those values and principles, New Zealand and the United States are engaging in practical ways within cooperative frameworks in the region, including the Pacific Islands Forum, Quad, AUKUS’ Pillar 2, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.
We have welcomed New Zealand’s increasing engagement with NATO and its partnership with the Indo-Pacific democracies of New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the ROK.
Our nations also share deep ties and commitments to the Pacific Islands. We have worked together to advance a more prosperous and resilient Pacific region, guided by the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Now, as PM Luxon has said, national security and economic security are inextricably linked. That’s why we have prioritized working with New Zealand to develop stronger trade links and enhance economic opportunity in both our countries.
New Zealand has been a critical leader and partner in our efforts to build the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for prosperity.
This forward-looking agreement focuses on what’s most important to our shared prosperity:
supply chains,
sustainability,
inclusion,
competition,
and rules we all agree on.
Our efforts to build trade links are paying off. Today, the trade and economic relationship between our countries is robust, and the United States remains one of New Zealand’s largest trading partners. From tourism to agricultural exports, our economic ties are strong and continue to grow, benefiting both our nations in terms of jobs, investment, and opportunities.
In less than five years, trade has grown from NZ$20 billion (US$12 billion) to NZ$27 billion (US$16 billion), led by red meat, wine, tourism.
We have seen New Zealand exports to the United States grow year over year, and the United States is now New Zealand’s second-largest export destination.
While much of that trade is related to New Zealand’s traditional primary industries, we have seen a steady expansion of our high tech and innovation relationship. Trade and investment links in film, aerospace, tourism, and other service industries have flourished, increasing prosperity in both our countries.
To help push this forward, we concluded the U.S.-New Zealand Space Framework Agreement in 2022 and hosted the NASA Administrator for a visit in 2023. And we established new bilateral dialogues, including our Space Dialogue, and the high-level launch of our Critical and Emerging Tech Dialogue this past August.
Looking ahead and building on these advancements in our relationship with New Zealand, I have no doubt that we will continue to work closely together on shared concerns and to advance a shared vision for the world.
While I cannot comment on the specifics of President-elect Trump’s future policies, I can say that our shared values, interests, and view of the world will remain unchanged.
Our strong partnership has continued to strengthen through multiple U.S. Administrations, including the first Trump Administration.
In 2018, President Trump signed the Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors (KIWI) Act. This granted New Zealanders access to E1 and E2 entrepreneur and investors visas to the United States, boosting our trade relationship.
Since the last Trump Administration, the world has changed in many ways. The world has become more complex and more contested. Against this backdrop, it is more important than ever for free societies to work together in support of a freer, more just world.
As the world faces new challenges, we believe the only solution is to deepen cooperation with likeminded partners.
That has been the essence of our partnership with New Zealand in the past and it will continue to be the basis of our friendship for years to come.
New Zealand and the United States enjoy a close and dynamic relationship—one that spans not only trade but also innovation, education, security, environmental initiatives, and people to people ties.
As we look to the future, I am sure that the relationship between New Zealand and the United States will continue to flourish, underpinned by our shared interests and the close ties between our peoples. By working together, we can continue to drive economic growth, foster innovation, and address the global challenges that impact us all.
I feel very privileged to be here in Auckland supporting the U.S.-New Zealand partnership, and I want to thank you all for your ongoing support and engagement. I look forward to working to continue to strengthen our friendship and partnership as we face the future together.
Thank you, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
Source: https://www.nzuscouncil.org/
The AI landscape is evolving, and businesses are set to unlock innovative uses of AI to grow their business exponentially. As AI adoption grows across the globe, governments internationally are introducing new regulations to address the risks of AI, with a focus on creating AI guardrails that apply across the AI lifecycle.
Recently, the Australian government introduced new regulations for safe and responsible AI to develop a regulatory environment that builds community trust and promotes AI adoption at scale. To meet this strong demand for scalable, safe and responsible AI, IBM is launching watsonx on IBM Cloud in Australia and New Zealand, significantly enhancing cloud infrastructure in the region.
IBM watsonx™ suite is an enterprise grade platform for generative AI and machine learning solutions offering a state-of-the-art AI studio, data store and AI governance toolkit.
The Sydney, Australia data center will offer several key advantages for clients:
Data sovereignty: Manage and store data locally to comply with Australia’s stringent privacy regulations, ensuring sensitive information remains secure.
Low latency connectivity: IBM Cloud’s high-performance network connectivity significantly reduces latency for users across Australia, essential for real-time data processing.
Scalable AI: The modular design enables businesses to scale operations seamlessly, provisioning resources quickly based on demand.
Access to advanced generative AI models: Clients can leverage a variety of generative AI models hosted in Sydney, including Llama-3-2-11b-vision-instruct and Granite-34b-code-instruct.
Open hybrid cloud strategy: Integrate the best features and functions from any cloud or traditional IT environment and tap the unmatched pace and quality of innovations from the open-source community. Collaboration with Hugging Face will work to bring the best of open-source AI models to the enterprise on the watsonx platform.
IBM watsonx suite provides a comprehensive AI solution catering to all your AI needs in one unified platform. Three products will be launched in Sydney with more to follow.
IBM watsonx.ai™ is an AI studio designed for enterprise-grade AI developers, offering a simplified and scalable development experience for creating AI applications with low-code/no-code tools, preconfigured patterns, and frameworks within development environment of your choice. Access a wide range of IBM and third-party models, along with easy-to-use tools and system prompts for building, deploying, and monitoring AI applications.
watsonx.data is an open data lakehouse designed to serve as a single source for all your organization's data needs. Built with open standards, it allows for seamless integration and access to data from various sources across disparate environments. With support for multiple query engines, watsonx.data optimizes AI and analytics workloads for the best price-performance. Users can easily connect their data to watsonx.ai or other AI tools to enhance the relevance and precision of AI models.
watsonx.governance™ enables companies to deploy AI responsibly by offering a powerful AI governance, risk and compliance (GRC) tool kit built to automate AI lifecycle workflows, proactively detect and mitigate risk, and meet the changing legal, compliance and regulatory landscape. It ensures that AI workflows are transparent, accountable and explainable. Through effective AI governance, business analysts can assess the reliability of their AI solutions. Later this year, watsonx.governance is expected to include model inventory, documentation, evaluation, and monitoring through the lite and essentials plans available on IBM Cloud. Availability of the model risk governance capabilities is planned for a future date available via the IBM Cloud catalog.
Explore how IBM watsonx can help you scale AI with trust. Watch out for these releases and more as we bring additional dimensions to expand our reach in Australia for businesses to harness the power of watsonx to improve productivity and maximize return on investment for their AI initiatives.
Explore the power of IBM watsonx.
Explore how watsonx Developer Hub can help developers scale AI at speed.
Source: https://www.ibm.com/
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