<p>As part of Idealog's Design Month, we picked the brains of some of the most interesting individuals in the industry to find out their favourite design-related things, their not-so-secretive side hustles and what inspires them creatively. First up, here's ad-man-turned-artist Josh Lancaster.</p>
<p>The next big thing in wearable technology could come from New Zealand’s premier challenge prize, launched by <a href="https://www.callaghaninnovation.govt.nz/"><span data-scayt-lang="en_US" data-scayt-word="Callaghan">Callaghan</span> Innovation</a>.</p>
<p>The Hi-Tech Awards are back for another rendezvous, with a record number of entries placed for the 2017 Awards. Chair of the Hi-Tech Trust Wayne Norrie says the start-up and young achiever categories are particularly competitive this year. </p>
<p>The MindLab by Unitec and Tech Futures Lab founder Frances Valintine recently spoke at <a href="http://tra.co.nz/">TRA</a>'s Mindframe Breakfast. A big takeaway: Kiwi companies simply aren't being innovative enough to compete on the world stage. But there's hope.</p>
<p>Where does innovation come from? And which method works best? Jihee Junn continues her look at the many and varied approaches to innovation in the fifth part of a series.</p>
<p>A new global talent search initiative called LookSee Wellington is aiming to address the shortage in Wellington’s fast-growing IT industry for talented tech workers – by paying for them to come to the Coolest Little Capital in the World. And it's gone viral.</p>
<p>If we want to become a more competitive economy, focusing on the arts as well as science, technology, engineering and mathematics – a STEAM, not STEM, approach – is worth considering, says <a href="http://wecreate.org.nz/#1">WeCreate</a> chair Paula Browning. </p>
<p>Auror co-founder and CEO Phil Thomson shares what he learned at the SaaStr Annual Conference in San Francisco - and what New Zealand businesses can learn, too.</p>
<p>Our laid-back modesty could be holding back our tech success, says Callaghan Innovation’s Hemi Rolleston.</p>
<p>All the deals done, did.</p>
<p>New Zealand is a nation of innovation. And that’s the message a new exhibition at Auckland’s <a href="http://www.motat.org.nz/">Museum of Transport and Technology</a> (MOTAT) is trying to get across.</p>
<p>The business of helping people run their business is worth billions. And surprise, surprise: tech is transforming the way businesses operate behind the scenes, as digital editor Ben Mack discovers at MYOB Incite in Sydney.</p>
<p>While the US squabbles over whether immigrants should be let into the country, The Edmund Hillary Fellowship and Immigration New Zealand have launched a new visa and programme to attract international entrepreneurs to our shores.</p>
<p>Innovation guru David Downs is working on a sequel to his field guide to cool Kiwi companies doing cool things, <em><a href="http://www.no8rewired.kiwi/">No. 8 Re-Wired</a></em>. And for this edition, he’s teaming up with <a href="https://www.medickinson.com/nanogirl/">Dr. Michelle Dickinson</a>, AKA Nanogirl.</p>
<p>In the latest edition of our series asking some of Aotearoa's best-known businesspeople and visionaries to take a step back and offer their insights on how the past year has gone and how the future might unfold, we chat with Aranui Ventures' Robett Hollis</p>
<p>In the latest edition of our series asking some of Aotearoa's best-known businesspeople and visionaries to take a step back and offer their insights on how the past year has gone and how the future might unfold, we chat with ICG director, former managing director of Saatchi and Saatchi NZ (and all-round all-rounder) Mike Hutcheson.</p>
<p>An appearance by Prime Minister John Key was but one of several notable things to happen on Thursday night at the New Zealand International Business Awards.</p>
<p>The importance of a work-life balance is at the centre of one of New Zealand's fastest growing startups – and where better to work than sunny Dunedin?</p>
<p>To mark the arrival of the <a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">Vodafone </a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">xone</a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/"> business accelerator</a>, <em>Idealog</em> is interviewing heaps of established New Zealand innovators, as well as the founders of the 10 startups selected by Vodafone to receive mentorship, funding and the potential benefits of working with a global network. In this edition, publisher and editorial director Ben Fahy dials in to San Francisco to speak with Tim Brown, ex-pro footballer and co-founder of hot-to-trot, New Zealand born, woollen shoe brand Allbirds, <a href="https://idealog.co.nz/venture/2016/10/new-zealand-woollen-sneaker-company-allbirds-um-flying">which recently won big at the Best Awards</a>. </p>
<p>The main takeaway from the latest TIN 100 report: New Zealand's tech sector is in a pretty good place - but things aren't entirely perfect.</p>
<p>To mark the arrival of the <a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">Vodafone </a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">xone</a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/"> business accelerator</a>, <em>Idealog</em> is interviewing heaps of established New Zealand innovators, as well as the founders of the 10 startups selected by Vodafone to receive mentorship, funding and the potential benefits of working with a global network. For this edition, <em>Idealog</em> publisher-at-large Vincent Heeringa speaks with scientist, innovator, and former-New Zealander of the Year, Sir Ray Avery.</p>
<p>The excitement starts here for startups, says Callaghan Innovation’s Start-Up manager Elena Higgison, as a host of new accelerators are announced.</p>
<p>Idealog was a sponsor of the AUT Business School Excellence in Business Support Awards last Wednesday. This is what happened.</p>
<p>New Zealand’s first FinTech accelerator has been set up – and could help New Zealand grow its share of an industry worth $1 trillion worldwide.</p>
<p>Following patterns and taking shortcuts serves a very important evolutionary function. But we wouldn't be where we are now as a species without rule breakers and weirdos who create change. And Vend's Vaughan Rowsell reckons we need more of them. </p>
<p>In fields as diverse as accounting and space travel, companies are placing their R&D at the heart of their way of working, says Simon Brown, Callaghan Innovation GM of Accelerator Services.</p>
<p>To mark the arrival of the <a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">Vodafone </a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">xone</a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/"> business accelerator</a>, <em>Idealog</em> is interviewing a whole heap of established New Zealand innovators, as well as the founders of the 10 startups selected by Vodafone to receive mentorship, funding and the potential benefits of working with a global network. This time, Theresa Gattung. </p> <p>Gattung is renowned for her strong business acumen having headed up Telecom (now known as Spark) at the age of 37. Her most recent business venture is as a co-founder and Director of the multimillion-dollar My Food Bag business. She is an investor, director and philanthropist.</p>
<p>To mark the arrival of the <a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">Vodafone </a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/">xone</a><a href="https://xone.vodafone.co.nz/"> business accelerator</a>, <em>Idealog</em> is interviewing a whole heap of established New Zealand innovators, as well as the founders of the 10 startups selected by Vodafone to receive mentorship, funding and the potential benefits of working with a global network. </p> <p>Next up, David Downs, the co-author of seminal innovation book <a href="http://www.no8rewired.kiwi/">No. 8 Re-Wired</a>, general manager, services, at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and, undoubtedly his most impressive title, <a href="https://idealog.co.nz/profile/david-downs"><em>Idealog</em>'s resident business agony uncle.</a></p>
<p>There's no greater recognition for a brand than getting "verbified." But getting there, says TRA head of strategy Colleen Ryan, is not easy.</p>
<p>The Investor’s Guide to the New Zealand Technology Sector was released on 8 September. We spoke with Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce about what it means.</p>