Arvida Group Partner with Liftango to Personalise Transport for Members

  • : Liftango
  • : 12/05/2021 09:00
  • Christchurch, New Zealand. Arvida Group selects transport technology provider Liftango as a strategic partner to deliver innovative On-Demand Transport services as part of their new services to people living in their own homes. 

    The bespoke transport solution will provide personalised and On-Demand Transport for Arvida Good Friends members under the brand name Good Friends Go. Members will include Arvida residents across eight villages in Christchurch as well as people who live independently in the community.

    Members can access the service via a smartphone App or request a booking by phone. The service consists of a unique membership functionality developed by Liftango. This allows members of Arvida Good Friends to book individual rides on-demand and pay as they go, or access unlimited rides for a monthly subscription.

    “We saw this opportunity to expand our demand-responsive transport offering as it aligned with the needs of key members of society that require better access to transport,” says Trystan Eeles, COO and Co-Founder of Liftango.

    Good Friends Go services eight Arvida facilities and is available now in Riccarton, Addington, Sydenham, Cashmere and Christchurch City.

    “Adding Liftango’s On-Demand Transport solution provides our members with more choice in how they plan their days. Good Friends Go membership means independence to stay active and socially connected – and to easily access our new community Living Well Centre,” says Rachel Hopkins, Head of Living Well Communities at Arvida Group.

    Passengers can specify pick up and drop off locations and have full visibility of their vehicle location via the Good Friends Go smartphone App. For individuals who do not wish to use a smartphone, bookings can be made by speaking to a trained operator within a dedicated Call Centre.

    For older Cantabrians, On-Demand Transport provides the security of knowing they can stay connected by accessing a reliable mode of transport with trained drivers when they need it.

    To access the Good Friends Go On-Demand Transport service Good Friends members can visit https://www.goodfriendsgo.co.nz/. For more information, please call 0800 20 41 20. 

    About Arvida Group

    Arvida Group Limited is one of the largest operators of aged care and retirement villages in New Zealand and is listed on the Main Board (NZSX) of the NZX with the ticker symbol ‘ARV’. It is a constituent member of the S&P/NZX 50 Index.

    About Arvida Good Friends

    Stay in the home you know and love with a bit of help from Arvida Good Friends – private home help, transport and activities at our community centre. Arvida Good Friends Help at Home and Care at Home plans make it easy to access friendly, trained helpers who support you to keep living the independent life you love. Good Friends Go is an On-Demand Transport service available exclusively to Arvida Good Friends members.

    For more information: https://goodfriends.co.nz | hello@goodfriends.co.nz

    About Liftango

    We help cities, communities and organisations reduce congestion and combat climate change by providing equitable access to shared transport through a carpool and On-Demand transport technology platform. This technology makes best use of vehicle capacity whilst giving passengers the freedom to travel the way they want to.

    Together, we help:

    • Cities evolve into Smart Cities
    • Transit Agencies to create better public bus systems
    • Private Bus Operators to digitise their services to become more efficient
    • Corporates to create sustainable and scalable mobility solutions for their staff
    • Property Developers to design sites around future mobility solutions instead of using space for parking

    We believe access to transportation is a fundamental right for people in modern society and through our technology, we provide convenient, efficient and sustainable transportation for the people that need it the most.

    For more information: https://liftango.com | info@liftango.com

  • Arvida Drivers Edited-800w
  • : JJ OBrien
  • : Chief Marketing Officer
  • : jj.obrien@liftango.com
  • : 61429845355
  • : https://www.liftango.com/blog
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/17957044

New Travel Start Up Seeks to Make Searching for Deals Easier for Kiwis

  • : Tripomi
  • : 01/04/2021
  • Auckland, New Zealand – Founded by three avid travellers, Tripomi.com has officially launched in New Zealand, making it easier for Kiwis to search and compare flights, hotels, car rentals and activities.

    Tripomi’s mission is to make it easier for people to search and discover great value travel deals. Simply enter what you’re looking for and then view or filter results.  Once you find an offer you like you can book directly with the provider.

    “We keep it simple. We were tired of all the travel sites becoming too complicated and commercial. We’re not a booking site and don’t partner with any airline or hotel group. We simply aggregate great value offers so that people can find a great deal.” said Emma, co-founder of Tripomi.

    “While now is not a great time to travel internationally, there are tons of great options within New Zealand including incredible hotel offers in Auckland”, added James, another co-founder.

    About Tripomi:

    Tripomi.com is a travel search and comparison site. It’s free to use, available 24/7, and contains zero advertisements. The best part is you never have to login or share any personal information. Just search and compare great offers.

    ###

  • 2021 Tripomi Logo_social media
  • : Euney Li
  • : Marketing Manager
  • : euney@azurbrands.com
  • : 7866228658
  • : https://www.tripomi.com/

Alimetry Leaves Stealth Mode to Announce CE Mark on New Wearable Medical Device for Gastric Diseases and Investment

  • : Alimetry Ltd
  • : 16/04/2021
  • Alimetry, a digital healthcare and diagnostic devices start-up, announced today that it has achieved CE Mark for its first product, a pioneering medical device for enabling diagnosis of gastric diseases.

    The new wearable product, called Gastric Alimetry, is positioned to transform the diagnostic pathway for millions of patients worldwide suffering from diseases such as functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis and chronic nausea and vomiting. Gastric symptoms are extremely prevalent and impart a vast burden, affecting around 10% of the global population. The Gastric Alimetry device collects data by non-invasively sensing the activity of the stomach from the body surface. The data is sent to the cloud for analysis, and is used by clinicians to determine the causes of gastric symptoms and direct treatment.

    Co-Founder and CEO Professor Greg O’Grady said “As clinicians, we lack the tools we need to reliably diagnose gastric disorders.  This contributes greatly to the frustration and suffering of our patients.  I was driven to this cause by seeing too many patients go through laborious, invasive and expensive rounds of repeat diagnostic testing, only to end up with inconclusive results and confusion. We invented Gastric Alimetry to help address this need. I am immensely proud of our hard-working team who have delivered an incredibly creative solution with outstanding potential to impact patient care.”

    In addition to successfully achieving CE mark for the Gastric Alimetry product, enabling the company to start commercializing the medical device in European countries, Alimetry also announced today that it had achieved the ISO 13485 international quality management system accreditation. As it grows global operations, the company has enhanced its executive team with new appointments. Hanie Yee joined the company as Chief Operating Officer, from her previous role as Clinical Business Lead at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, and Professor Chris Andrews, a leading gastroenterologist from Canada, has joined Alimetry as Chief Medical Officer.

    Alimetry has been the culmination of over a decade of award-winning scientific research out of The University of Auckland, backed by scientific grants from the New Zealand Health Research Council and the US National Institutes of Health, followed by Callaghan Innovation funding. To support the next phase of growth, the company completed its first institutional investment round, led by IP Group, a leading international intellectual property commercialisation company. The investment round was supported by UniServices Ltd (via the University of Auckland’s Inventors’ Fund), and Matū, a New Zealand early-stage science and deep-tech venture capital fund.  The capital raised by Alimetry will be used to advance the company’s clinical trials, enter the market, and progress regulatory approval in the United States.

    The Managing Director of IP Group Australia, Dr Michael Molinari, said “We are excited to be working with Professor O’Grady and the world-class team at Alimetry to provide a step change in the quality of life for millions of patients with gastric disorders. This technology, at the intersection of multiple exponentially growing fields such as wearable medical devices, digital health, and machine-learning assisted diagnostics, is another great example of the breakthrough innovations coming from our partners at the University of Auckland”.

    About Alimetry

    Alimetry was founded in 2019 as a spin-out company from the University of Auckland’s Bioengineering Institute and Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. The company was founded on a background of world-leading science in gastrointestinal diseases.  Alimetry is dedicated to improving the lives of patients by delivering innovative medical solutions to advance GI diagnostics and enable targeted therapies. www.alimetry.com

    About IP Group

    IP Group is a leading intellectual property commercialisation company focused on evolving great ideas from its partner universities into world-changing businesses. The Group pioneered a unique approach to developing these ideas and the resulting businesses by providing access to business building expertise, capital, scientific insight, and the supporting infrastructure. In Australia and New Zealand, IP Group works in close partnership with the Go8 Universities and the University of Auckland to identify ground-breaking technologies, rooted in hard science, which have the most promising commercial potential. IP Group, which is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol IPO, has a strong track record of success and its portfolio comprises holdings in early stage to mature businesses across life sciences and technology.

    Discover more at www.ipgroupanz.com

    About The University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund.  The University of Auckland Inventors Fund is an evergreen, open-ended $20 million investment fund owned and managed by Auckland UniServices Limited, the commercial company for The University of Auckland.  The Inventors’ Fund provides seed-capital for ventures started out of the University of Auckland.  www.uniservices.co.nz

    About Matū Fund. Matū is a venture capital fund investing in early-stage science and deep technology commercialisation from education and research institutions and the private sector. As an open and evergreen fund, Matū takes a long-term investment view and is aimed at turning ground-breaking ideas into globally focused, IP-rich companies. Matū provides intelligent capital with active governance, executive management, operational support, and mentorship for founding and executive teams.  www.matu.co.nz

    Released images (png format):

    Alimetry Reader

    Alimetry System Light

    Alimetry System on Body

    Contact Information:

    Hanie Yee, Chief Operating Officer

    E: hanie@alimetry.com

    M: +64 (0) 21 651 226

    Social Media:

    Twitter: @alimetry_ltd

  • Alimetry_Reader_Light
  • : Hanie Yee
  • : Chief Operating Officer
  • : hanie@alimetry.com
  • : 6421651226
  • : https://alimetry.com/
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/alimetry-ltd/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

PIONEERING DECENTRALISED SECURE MESSAGING PLATFORM MANYONE ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON CENTRE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

  • : Manyone Inc.
  • : 25/02/2021
  • Vancouver, Canada – February 25th, 2021 – Manyone Inc., a pioneering technology venture in decentralization and digital identity, is delighted to announce that it has entered into a new strategic relationship with the globally renowned University College London (UCL) Centre Blockchain Technology (CBT).

    This partnership will support research conducted by UCL CBT’s Senior Research Associate, Dr Geoffrey Goodell, to explore and evaluate end-user technology systems, infrastructure, business imperatives, and regulatory policy to support the privacy, dignity, and market power of individual persons in the emerging digital economy. The research is aimed at identifying the requirements and approaches for systems whose features specifically support the advancement of truly consensual trust relationships, the empowerment of local communities, and the public interest.

    Vancouver-based Manyone believes in empowering solutions and technologies with the potential to produce a new, distributed internet where everyone can feel safe, secure and in control of their digital identity.

    Dr Paolo Tasca, Founder and Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, notes that, “On behalf of UCL and the Centre for Blockchain Technologies, I am delighted to begin our new partnership with international industry partners Peer Social Foundation and Manyone. We are grateful for their support and recognition of the impactful research being done to meet our shared ambitions. Thanks to their generosity we will continue our proud tradition of enabling academic research with real-world application.”

    Michael Cholod CEO at Manyone and Executive Director of The Peer Social Foundation comments, “As a dedicated group of decentralists, our teams look to find ways to free communication from manipulation and control by protecting individual, business or governmental digital identities. Part of that mission is to work with the most respected and knowledgeable people in the field. The team at UCL represent some of the best thinkers in the area and we’re honoured to work with them.”

    Dr Geoffrey Goodell, Senior Research Associate at UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, specifically ads that, “The funding from The Peer Social Foundation and Manyone will provide vital resource to explore and evaluate user-controlled identity management, decentralised social networks, and tokenisation as vehicle for authorisation without identification. Our partnership will support the advancement of trusted relationships in the digital economy, the empowerment of local communities for the benefit of public interest. I am excited to deepen our collaboration and share our insights.”

    Manyone, with offices in Vancouver, Canada and Stockholm, Sweden are looking to launch the first decentralised secure messaging solution by Mid-2021.

    ——————————–

    Manyone is a pioneering technology venture that aims to deliver private secure networks and private digital identities, to increase personal and enterprise productivity and digital security. Manyone actively works with The Peer Social Foundation on education and research into topics of interest to consumers and enterprise. The Peer Social Foundation and Manyone believe in empowering a distributed internet where everyone can feel in control of their digital identity. They do this by delivering a self-sovereign digital identity and decentralized communication and sharing platform for enterprise and consumers. A critical component of this is to work beside and support vital education, R&D and the open-source community to connect people, business.

    Find out more here: www.manyone.one  http://blockchain.cs.ucl.ac.uk/

  • : Michael Cholod
  • : Chief Executive Decentralist
  • : info@manyone.one
  • : 16048361112
  • : https://manyone.one
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/manyoneapp/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

Entrepreneur challenges business owners to help save the environment

  • : Paste & Publish
  • : 24/02/2021
  • Paste & Publish, a New Zealand based content marketing agency announced today that they are setting aside 5% of revenue to provide pro bono work to selected environmental projects that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford professional help.

    Paste & Publish Founder, Callum Armstrong, says that this commitment is important because our natural world is in a state of crisis.

    “I believe that it is our responsibility as business owners to help create the future we want to leave for our children.

    There’s no silver bullet in the fight against climate change, but every little bit of help makes a difference,” says Armstrong.

    “That’s why we have built philanthropy into our business model – to ensure that as we grow, so does our positive impact on the planet.”

    The first project that will receive support from their 5% pledge is The Reforestation Fund. This fund, which is set to launch later in the year, provides sustainable and ethical brands with a way to help the environment as part of their offering.

    Companies who support The Reforestation Fund donate a small amount from every sale on selected products, and are allowed to display the fund’s endorsement in return. Money raised is used to help community projects that plant native forests and support groups that look after our native plants and wildlife.

    The Reforestation Fund co-founder, Anna Wentsch, says that people are looking for ways to support the environment, and that the services provided by Paste & Publish will empower TRF to make it easy for people to do just that.

    “We are extremely grateful for the support that Paste & Publish is providing by designing our brand identity and rebuilding our website.

    This will set up the foundations for us to connect people and companies with our natural world,” says Wentsch.

    Armstrong says that companies who design philanthropy into their everyday operations experience a wide range of benefits. They often see higher rates of customer retention and trust, happier staff who know they are doing good in the world, increased sales and less reliance on price based competition.

    About Paste & Publish

    Based in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, Paste & Publish provides content marketing services to companies that want to grow. They help brands to attract their ideal customers by creating high value strategic content, and using sales funnels to convert them into paying clients. To find out more, visit www.pasteandpublish.com.

  • IMG_5840_enhanced
  • : Callum Armstrong
  • : Managing Director
  • : callum@pasteandpublish.com
  • : 642102671022
  • : https://www.pasteandpublish.com
  • https://www.facebook.com/pasteandpublish | https://www.instagram.com/pasteandpublish | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71003381

Exciting New Zealand-Based Freelance Website Answers Roaring Freelance Economy

  • : Skill Connect
  • : 05/02/2021
  • SkillConnect connects businesses and freelancers in an erupting remote work environment

    New Zealand, (February 5, 2021) ​— ​SkillConnect is an exciting new freelance website that was created to answer the incredible demand for remote work opportunities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While the website is operated in New Zealand, it presents businesses and freelancers with an opportunity to work with each other from virtually anywhere around the world. Account registration is free for both businesses and freelancers.

    Officially launched in late 2020, SkillConnect was built from the ground-up as an innovative freelancer platform that is easy to use for both businesses and freelancers.

    The site actively evolves and adapts to changes in demand, services, and feedback from its users. As the site continues to grow, more features will be added to better serve its users.

    The hiring process for a freelancer is notably simple, and can be broken down into four steps:

    1. Post a job or project
    2. Connect with freelancers
    3. Chat and share files
    4. Pay only after the project is completed or upon mutual agreement

    With the demand for freelance work on the rise, SkillConnect seeks to supply the demand for freelancers, both in New Zealand and abroad, “More people than ever are looking for opportunities to use their skills to make money online,” says the founder of SkillConnect, Sathya Parlapothula.

    “There is also a huge demand for freelance work, particularly from small businesses who want more economical options to hiring full-time employees. The fit and the opportunity were both there to make this successful,” Sathya Parlapothula says.

    About ​SkillConnect

    SkillConnect is a New Zealand-based online freelancing site that connects businesses and freelancers all around the world. It was launched in November 2020 and continues to see a growing number of registered freelancers and businesses.

    For more about SkillConnect, visit:

    www.​skillconnect.co.nz
    For more information, please contact:

    Name: Sathya Parlapothula

    Email: hello@skillconnect.co.nz

  • Skill Connect Press Release 05 Feb 2021
  • : https://youtu.be/iPDNZC-AaqI
  • : Sathya Parlapothula
  • : CEO
  • : hello@recruit.nz
  • : 043901205
  • https://www.facebook.com/skillconnectnz | https://twitter.com/SkillConnect1 | https://www.instagram.com/skillconnectnz/

New Zealand’s Newest Online Job Portal Goes Live

  • : Recruit
  • : 01/12/2020
  • Recruit.nz launches innovative employment site that connects local job seekers and employers

    New Zealand, (December 01, 2020) Recruit.nz, New Zealand’s newest and most innovative online job portal has just launched and is already connecting job seekers and employers.

    What makes Recruit.nz attractive is It is smarter, easier and affordable for everyone to use for both job seekers and employers. Recruit.nz set out to deliver a premium service that is accessible to job seekers and businesses of all sizes.

    Premium features come standard for employers on the site.

    These features include:

    • Custom hiring teams, where an employer can create approval systems to evaluate applicants.
    • An integrated To-Do List, which is an innovative feature where your hiring team can keep track of the team’s tasks and recruitment operations all within the site.

    Supporting local businesses in an atypical way is one of Recruit’s goals, “We wanted a way to support people who were looking for jobs, and also the businesses that were hiring them,” says Recruit’s founder, Sathya Parlapothula.

    “By giving local businesses a site where they can post their jobs for free, and take advantage of enhanced features like custom branding, manage hiring teams & applicant management tools if they so choose, we feel we are able to help our economy move forward from what was a very difficult year for many,” says Sathya Parlapothula.

    About Recruit.nz

    Recruit.nz is an all-inclusive online job portal based in New Zealand that launched in November 2020. They believe in working smarter, not harder. That’s why they created a portal like no other. No matter if you are looking for a job or looking to fill a job, they help make the process easier and faster than any other local job site around.

  • : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUDM1nDTf1A
  • : Sathya Parlapothula
  • : CEO
  • : sathya@recruit.nz
  • : 043901205
  • : https://www.recruit.nz/
  • https://www.facebook.com/Recruit-New-Zealand-115590076985758 | https://www.linkedin.com/company/recruit-new-zealand

Top Seven Finalists Through to Innovate

  • : The Factory
  • : 07/10/2020
  • Over the course of the past two nights, 15 of Innovate’s mentors, including four finalists from previous years, listened to 20 semi-finalists pitch their ideas, hoping to gain access into the rigorous Innovate programme.

    In its ninth year, Innovate is a staple of the Manawatu entrepreneurial eco-system.  What started out as a “Dragon’s Den” competition in 2011, has turned into a process that not only builds business, but more importantly, builds people.

    “We’ve had over 1,700 entries in nine years and Innovate has helped shape business and people during its time.  Each year we’re hopeful of finding those that are stuck or have a novel idea and need a bit of guidance to push forward, and each year we are elated at the quality that continues to come in,” says Nick Gain, General Manager of The Factory.

    “This year was no different.  61 entries competed for five spots and the quality forced the mentors to select seven and if I’m honest, there were many more that could have made it.”

    The programme for the finalists begins Thursday night where they will be guided through a structured process that not only will help them validate and build their business but also connect them into a mentor pool of talent that spans New Zealand and the globe.

    “We’re humbled to have business leaders, thought provokers, Innovate alumni and others that understand the power of foundational entrepreneurship put their hand up each year to help.  It was incredible to see four of our Innovate Alumni in our mentor room this year, helping select the next round of entrepreneurs and then ask to mentor them using the knowledge they learned through their Innovate journey,” says Dave Craig, CEO of The Factory.

    Chelsea Hirst, Innovate winner in 2016, was one of this year’s mentors tasked with selecting the finalists for the programme.  “I received amazing support from Innovate with starting my business and I’m excited to give back by supporting this year’s finalists on their own Innovate journeys!”

    The Process

    Over the next 8 weeks, the seven finalists will meet each week at The Factory in Palmerston North and dive into building their idea into a validated business.  Each finalist will be paired with mentors as well as have access to the full mentor pool The Factory has built over the past 12 years, which includes national and international presence.

    Using lean methodologies, finalists will learn about intellectual property and protection, cash flow and budgeting, validation but most importantly, what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.  This all cumulates into a pitch night happening on the 26th of November in Palmerston North, traditionally a sold-out dinner, where each will have an opportunity to present their validated idea to local Manawatu business leaders, angel investors and others that support entrepreneurialism in the region.

    Finalists

    Mike Saywell and Dr. John Kirkland
    Mike and Dr. John have discovered six levers that that will allow people to improve thinking and learning and to unpack content. They have designed a set of increasingly complex levers that learners may use for prying into content, called The Six Learning Levers.

    Dieter Stalmann
    Dieter is hoping to help those with stomas. A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste to be diverted out of your body, traditionally into a stoma bag. These bags are prone to leaking when they become full. The wearer of the stoma is not always aware that the bag is full causing sleepless nights, embarrassment and frustration. Dieter wants to build a device that can be attached to the bag that will alert the wearer that the bag has reached capacity.

    Toni Grace and Iain Lees-Galloway
    Toni and Iain are working on Here’s Good, a social enterprise that plans to independently measure the activities of participating businesses and give them a score that quickly tells consumers how much they are investing in social impact; and then develop that into a software platform delivered through an app.

    Jeanette Rapson
    Jeanette has created freeze-dried baby food powders containing only vegetables (e.g. broccoli, spinach, beetroot, kūmara, green bean, potato, pumpkin). The sachets are travel/storage friendly with a long shelf-life. With the simple addition of water (or breastmilk), the powders rehydrate to smooth baby purées. The freeze-dried method retains the nutrients and is cost-effective, enabling a competitive price but at a high profit margin.

    Barbara Kelly
    Barbara has built an online supported programme called Event Ready Bodies to help bridge the knowledge gap for sports event participants about long term physical development. The programme doesn’t replace the coach or personal trainer, rather supports the individual to structure their training activities so they are injury-free, functional and experience continued physical improvement (even as they age.)

    Emma Buchannan
    Farmers have been putting information into recording software for years, but no one has created a way to get value out of that data. Emma will use her qualifications as a farm environment planner and greenhouse gas advisor, and her experience in user based design and farmer training to create a modular farm plan system that mines that data to create low cost, high quality compliance plans.

    Ian Meredith
    Ian’s created an urban focused electric motorcycle for Gen X / Y / Z. His main focus is on design, trying to outdate the small, ugly and sometimes smoky bikes. The motorbike has a 2kw electric motor and is designed for urban/town/city use. The bike has been in development for almost 2 years, the 1st prototype is complete (which we saw) and looks a treat!

  • : Nick Gain
  • : General Manager
  • : nick@thefactorynz.co.nz
  • : 063533100
  • : https://www.innovate.kiwi
  • https://www.facebook.com/innovatecompetition

Precision Driven Health announces sponsorship of Hack Aotearoa 2020

  • : Precision Driven Health
  • : 09/01/2020
  • Precision Driven Health (PDH) is excited to return in 2020 as a major partner for Hack Aotearoa.

    Building on the success of the 2019 conference – the first of its kind in New Zealand – Hack Aotearoa 2020 continues to innovate and will include a health datathon in addition to the main Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare conference.

    This globally recognised Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Critical Data event aims to spark cross-disciplinary collaboration and learning of data science to improve healthcare. Hosted by the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Critical Data, the event will see local and international data scientists, academics and healthcare professionals come together to present opportunities for the use of data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health.

    The overarching theme for the 2020 event is ‘Advancing the Quadruple Aim’, while the ethical use of data, and the use of data for Māori health equity, are key event themes. Hack Aotearoa is an exciting opportunity to advance the digital health and data science landscape in Aotearoa.

    During the datathon, healthcare professionals and data scientists will have the chance to work with the MIT eICU Collaborative Care and MIMIC Critical Care datasets. The aim is to harness insights from these datasets and search for better ways to diagnose and treat critical care patients.

    Precision Driven Health returns as a major partner for the second year running. Chief Executive Dr Kevin Ross is looking forward to the event.

    “As New Zealand’s premier health data science collaboration, we are looking forward to another gathering that looks to unlock the value of data for our population. Hack Aotearoa combines local expertise and values with international know-how to bring a unique, hands-on experience over a few days,” says Dr Ross.

    Philips ANZ is another major partner of Hack Aotearoa. As a leading health technology company, Philips ANZ provides connected care solutions powered by advanced analytics in order to improve health outcomes and the delivery of care. At the crux of transitioning towards value-based healthcare, the measurement of system-wide health outcomes and the improvement of patient care delivery is based on a combination of multiple datasets.

    “As the owner of the largest translational ICU dataset in the world composed of 7.5 million ICU episodes, Philips is proud to contribute to events like Hack Aotearoa in order to drive academic and practical insights for New Zealand. We need to look at new, more efficient ways to increase access to care and improve care collaboration. Philips believes Hack Aotearoa is a great setting to start those conversations,” says Joe Cain, Business Manager Population Health, Philips ANZ.

    Hack Aotearoa will take place 17th to 19th January 2020 at the Owen G Glenn Building, University of Auckland.

    About MIT Critical Data
    MIT Critical Data is an affiliation of research labs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who are engaged in research in and around data that has a critical impact on people’s health.

    About Precision Driven Health
    The Precision Driven Health partnership (PDH), established in 2016, is one of the most ambitious data science research initiatives to be undertaken in New Zealand. The partnership unites the health IT sector with healthcare providers and universities to create health and commercial opportunities for New Zealanders. Research is focused on applying new data science techniques to understand the massive volume of data about an individual captured by health information systems, consumer devices, social networks, genetic testing and other sources. To date, PDH has supported more than 75 projects in health data science, including summer and postgraduate scholarships, a joint PDH-HRC Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme, and multi-million dollar discovery and transformation programmes in several areas, including de-identification and deep learning. PDH researchers are also exploring vital concepts such as bias in machine learning, the ethics of AI use, and consent paradigms for enabling the next wave of health data research. Find out more at www.precisiondrivenhealth.com.

  • : Nicole Gray
  • : Communications Specialist
  • : nicole@precisiondrivenhealth.com
  • : 0212290811
  • : https://precisiondrivenhealth.com/
  • https://twitter.com/HealthPrecision | https://www.linkedin.com/company/15212839/

Regional and Rural Schools take out National Digital Titles

  • : IT Professionals NZ
  • : 08/12/2019
  • Smaller regional and rural schools from across New Zealand swept the National Finals for the Tahi Rua Toru Tech in-school challenge this year.

    The 2019 National Winners were announced at a gala event at TSB Arena in Wellington, following 10 regional finals held across New Zealand in October. The National Finals were attended by the regional winning teams with students coming from around the country.

    As part of the Tahi Rua Toru Tech Challenge, teams of 3-4 students find a problem in their local school or community and use digital technologies to solve it. Teams are paired up with tech industry mentors and given support and resources. Over 6500 students participated in the Challenge this year.

    IT Professionals New Zealand CEO Paul Matthews said today that “Regional and Rural New Zealand were the winners this year, with winning teams coming from Hāwea Flat near Wanaka, Morrinsville, Rotorua and New Plymouth”.

    At the Discovery level (years 0-5), Hāwea Flat School’s Team Happy Hawea took out the title, completing a set of challenges in the fastest time. It came down to split-seconds in the end and was hotly contested.

    Morrinsville Intermediate’s Team Thunderbolts took out the First Challenge (years 6-8), creating an app game to encourage fitness by getting the user to move around Morrinsville to scan QR codes whilst seeing the ‘Herd of Cows’ (sculptures) on display within their town.

    John Paul College, Rotorua’s Team ShumbaLeon won the Secondary level (years 9-10), created a website showcasing cultural diversity in their school and a platform for students to share their own stories and culture with other students.

    And Sacred Heart Girls College, New Plymouth’s Team Red took out Senior Secondary (years 11-13), creating a medication box that sends bluetooth messages to your phone to remind you to take your medication, and has a motion sensor and lock and software designed to reduce under or overdosing.

    The Ministry of Education’s Deputy Secretary for Early Learning and Student Achievement Ellen MacGregor-Reid helped announce the winners and was seriously impressed by the level of innovation. “A huge scale of learning has clearly gone on in the challenge. The majority of the students didn’t know how to write any code at the start – and yet that was such a stand-out feature of the innovations I’ve seen,” MacGregor-Reid said.

    As part of the National Finals, the Digital Technologies Teachers Aotearoa (DTTA) and IT Professionals New Zealand recognised an influential teacher who has made a huge difference to digital tech. This year the Ali Chivers Teacher Influence Award went to Julie MacMahon from St Hilda’s Collegiate School in Dunedin.

    “I’ve known Julie for several years, working with her on bringing about the changes to the Digital Technologies curriculum. She’s an inspiring and energetic teacher who contributes so much to her students and their profession,” Matthews said. “A very worthy choice.”

    The Challenge will enter its third year in 2020 and is part of a suite of resources and tools to help teachers and schools implement changes to Digital Technologies and Hangarau Matihiko in the Curriculum in a safe and supported way.

    ENDS

    About Tahi Rua Toru Tech

    Partnering with the Ministry of Education, the IT industry is supporting the introduction of the new Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko (DT&HM) curriculum into schools and Kura with the 123Tech Challenge.

    In the challenge, small teams of 3-4 students complete a project-based challenge either in-class in schools, or through a local Code Club. Most will complete it as a classroom activity, but the model caters to both. The 123Tech Challenge is for everyone, not just tech geniuses (although they’re welcome too!). Schools are also partnered with an industry mentor, and the Challenge provides all the guidance and support students need to make a real difference.

    Tahi Rua Toru Tech is being delivered by a partnership of not-for profit organisations led by IT Professionals NZ and started in its current form in 2018. 

    The National Finals were held on Thursday 5th December 2019.

    To learn more about Tahi Rua Toru Tech visit https://123tech.nz 

    To learn more about Digital Tech/Hangarau Matihiko, http://education.govt.nz/digitech.

  • All
  • : Paul Matthews
  • : Chief Executive
  • : ceo@itp.nz
  • : 021705212
  • : https://itp.nz
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