KARENBARNARD

Mr.paripat niyantang/Shutterstock Small businesses across Australia and New Zealand are facing one of their toughest periods in decades. A flat economy and shifting consumer behaviour have put pressure on already thin operating margins. A 2024 survey by business finance company ScotPac found 29% of Australian small businesses say they could face insolvency if they lose a major client. Accounting organisation CPA Australia’s latest small business survey shows only 48% of New Zealand’s small businesses grew in 2023. This is significantly … Continue reading “A website is not enough: businesses that use digital tools without a strategic plan will struggle in a tough economy”

NicoElNino/Shutterstock When it comes to turning research into real-world success, New Zealand has a problem. Despite the country’s NZ$3.7 billion research and development spending in 2023 – a 17% jump from the previous year — too many New Zealand businesses fail to commercialise innovation. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, New Zealand ranks 21st for innovation inputs. This means we’re good at investing in research and development. But we rank 45th in knowledge outputs and 78th in industry diversification. … Continue reading “Ignore the ‘ivory tower’ clichés – universities are the innovation partners more Kiwi businesses need”

Shutterstock It’s hard to remember a time the United States seemed as tense and divided as it does today. That should serve as a stark reminder of just how important it is to monitor the health of our own nation. Today, our new report card on Australia’s progress will be launched in Canberra. It assesses progress on 80 economic, social and environmental targets and models a range of policy shifts that could boost progress. We find that progress on more … Continue reading “A new report card shows inequality in Australia isn’t as bad as in the US – but we’re headed in the wrong direction”

Skin 'phantoms' are an inexpensive alternative to testing on people. Diana Bachu/iStock via Getty Images Plus Wearable devices have become a big part of modern health care, helping track a patient’s heart rate, stress levels and brain activity. These devices rely on electrodes, sensors that touch the skin to pick up electrical signals from the body. Creating these electrodes isn’t as easy as it might seem. Human skin is complex. Its properties, such as how well it conducts electricity, can … Continue reading “Skin phantoms help researchers improve wearable devices without people wearing them”

The Museum of the Future which, alongside the Emirates Towers, hosted the Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity 2024 Exhibition. Stephen Khan, CC BY Flash cars, flashier skyscrapers, strict public behaviour laws and soaring temperatures. Social media, reality television shows and news reports on expat extravagances and holidays gone wrong ensure that Dubai has many images. Being a hub for international research probably isn’t one that springs to most people’s minds. That may be about to change though. A … Continue reading “Prototypes for Humanity showcases solutions-based projects from universities around the world – in Dubai”

The headquarters of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Virginia. ajay_suresh/Flickr, CC BY The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is often held as a model for driving technology advances. For decades, it has contributed to military and economic dominance by bridging the gap between military and civilian applications. European policymakers frequently reference DARPA in discussions, as outlined in the 2024 Draghi Report, but an EU equivalent has yet to materialise. To create such an agency, … Continue reading “Do we need a European DARPA to cope with technological challenges in Europe?”