Connections that make a difference

Called Global Expert, the service gives firms confidential access to an international network of more than 20,000 experts located within business networks, universities and research and development agencies in New Zealand and around the world.

Christchurch company Springfree Trampolines, winner of the 2010 USA Product of the Year Award, has used Global Expert on three occasions. The first, says founder Doug Hill, resulted from the company’s drive to develop a surface treatment process that would meet stringent consistency and performance standards.

“I knew about Global Expert but we had our own highly skilled engineers on the job and were consulting widely with industry and didn’t think we needed extra help,” says Hill. Being up against a tight timeframe to commission Springfree’s own purpose built factory in China changed his mind. 
“We had pretty well exhausted our own avenues and wanted someone to look at what we were doing and challenge our thinking.”

Within days, Global Expert had identified suitable experts. Within a few weeks Springfree had hired a US specialist, located by Global Expert, who came on board in time to make changes to production processes before the factory was commissioned.

Springfree has gone on to use Global Expert to solve other technical problems, with Hill describing the service as a useful business tool.

“We’re looking for the fastest and simplest route to expertise that we don’t have in-house.”

Global Expert is provided by TechNZ, the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology’s business investment programme, with the cost of searches subsidised by the government.

International Business Awards

Many other Kiwi businesses will soon get the chance to test the service.

Entrants in this year’s New Zealand International Business Awards are being offered access to a subsidised search.

TechNZ will pay the first $2,000 of the expert’s fees for eligible businesses which will also be able to apply for more funding from TechNZ on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

The New Zealand International Business Awards have been developed by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) to recognise new approaches that businesses are taking to achieve international success and celebrate the achievements of high performing New Zealand companies.

The importance of innovation to business success and sustainability is reflected in the special categories which reward innovative approaches, use of design, commercialisation of intellectual property and use of research and development in international business.

This year’s special category winners will receive a tailored package of support from TechNZ, worth up to $50,000.

In addition to a Global Expert search, this could see companies benefiting from a technology mentor, support to employ smart graduate or postgraduate students to help with projects and participation in an international conference or training workshop to develop an aspect of their business skills.