Lianne Dalziel: NZ's first Aerospace Summit launched in Christchurch

Rocket lab is leading the way in the New Zealand Aerospace industry: Photo / Rocket Lab

OPINION:

It was an absolute pleasure to welcome delegates to the country's very first NZ Aerospace Summit, which is being held in Ōtautahi Christchurch at Te Pae, our amazing new convention centre.

If anyone had said a decade ago that I would be welcoming delegates to an Aerospace Summit that celebrated all that this industry can offer the world, I would not have believed it.

And yet 10 years on, it seems a natural fit for our city and region.

I was certainly well aware back then of our status as one of only five Antarctic Gateway cities in the world.

However, I did not make the connection between the skill sets required to support the research and other work that is undertaken in what is an extreme environment, and what is required to support work in another extreme environment - aerospace. The synergies are now obvious and the benefits are clear.

When our economic development agency, ChristchurchNZ, started to think about what industry clusters would take our region into the 21st century, building on our regional strengths to take on global challenges, aerospace and future transport were right up there with agritech, the future of food, health technology, resilient communities and high-tech services.

I guess the earthquakes gave us the opportunity to reimagine ourselves as a place of experimentation – a perfect "proof of concept" environment if you will. We have focused on building on our strengths – universities, technical institutes, Crown Research Institutes and a strong innovation ecosystem.

We see ourselves as a city of opportunity for all – a place that is open to new ideas, new people and new ways of doing things – a place where anything is possible.

And it is that sense of possibility that invites us to look at the technologies and innovations that are literally breaking down the barriers that might have been holding the sector back.

And Ōtautahi Christchurch is playing a big part in this - we have all the right ingredients to create a better future - clear airways, proximity to international air and seaports, access to infrastructure and of course talent.

I am told that nearly a third of national aerospace engineering graduates come from Canterbury universities, and so many people are now looking to our new city as a place they want to live.

The businesses and innovators in this sector from our region are incredibly diverse and are making an impact on the world stage.

Project Tāwhaki is a unique partnership for Kaitōrete, a significant Ngāi Tahu cultural landscape renowned for its mahinga kai, taonga species and history. Te Taumutu Rūnanga and Wairewa Rūnanga are mana whenua and rangatira of Kaitōrete. They have come together with the Crown to enable two things to happen:

First and foremost, to protect and rejuvenate the Kaitōrete environment, not only an area of significant cultural importance but also home to numerous threatened and locally endemic plant, invertebrate, birds and reptile species with internationally recognised ecological value.

Second to develop aerospace activities and Research & Development facilities that have the potential to generate significant and sustainable economic opportunities through job creation, capital investment and adjacent sectors serving the aerospace economy.

As the MBIE website says, Kaitōrete ticks all the boxes for key technical launch site criteria, along with other key advantages - for example, it is well-placed to provide access to desirable orbits, and it has proximity to an internationally connected city, world-class universities and a highly skilled local workforce as a result of the fast-developing aerospace sector in Canterbury.

A phased approach will be taken to introduce the aerospace activity, leveraging the work some innovators are already doing in the South Island to develop facilities and utilise the area. We will see this activity grow as more operators see the immense benefit of the location, and access to a highly skilled local workforce and get inspired by the innovation already happening in the sector.

Other local companies include Pyper Vision, which I have mentioned before. It has been developed and led by an inspirational young woman Emily Blyth and is on track to save huge amounts of time and money for people all over the world with fog dispersion at airports.

There is Fabrum, which is providing world-leading solutions in engineering and cryogenic technology and is committed to hydrogen to fuel future transport.

Dawn Aerospace is building same-day reusable launch vehicles and non-toxic satellite propulsion systems.

UAS & Woods, which won the Aerospace Challenge in June, has developed innovative, smart mapping pods that can be rapidly deployed on a range of aircraft to gather fast aerial mapping data in a more sustainable way.

I hope this shows the depth and breadth of an industry that our region and country play such a significant role in.

As has been the case with our relationship with Antarctica, which has been the canary in the mine for the impacts of climate change, we have learned that unlocking the answers that lie within and beneath the ice will help us address the climate challenges that lie ahead.

Being able to observe our planet and measure the changes in sustainable ways from the stratosphere and beyond, are equally vital to our future.

With a focus on creating a vibrant aerospace ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand, this summit is designed to showcase New Zealand aerospace capabilities, inspire innovation, and maximise networking opportunities.

And they could not have come to a better place to do so.