The winners of the New Zealand Innovators Awards 2015 have been announced with an incredible line-up of organisations showcasing that world-class innovation is thriving in New Zealand. Source: Scoop NZ
Bayer New Zealand sponsors the “Innovation in Agribusiness and Environment” category, and Managing Director Holger Detje announced the winner in this category as Fibre-gen for its HITMAN PH330, an acoustic tool that sonically tests the tensile strength of a tree in its entirety before it is cut down.
This allows the tree to be segregated into construction strength timber, and timber for other uses.
“One of the reasons we are so impressed by this entry is that it’s a tool that can help reduce waste as well as saving money in the timber industry,” said Mr Detje.
“It’s fantastic that clever Kiwis are designing products like this which contribute positively to the world and help drive sustainability.
“It’s something we are focusing strongly on at Bayer too, and we’re thrilled that companies like Fibre-gen are developing innovative tools that help support the environment.”
Bayer is an international, research-based group with major businesses in health care and crop science.
“Bayer is particularly passionate about innovation in the environmental space, so we’re very pleased to be able to sponsor this category and to see the incredible ideas that have surfaced as part of this year’s NZ Innovators Awards,” said Mr Detje.
Peter Carter, the CEO of Fibre-gen, indicated that this product had been 16 years in the making.
“Winning this award is marvelous, and we’re thrilled that it is bringing attention to what we’re doing,” said Mr Carter.
“We’re at a pretty exciting stage now, and it’s fantastic to receive this recognition.”
The timber industry is becoming increasingly automated and loses money on milling logs that turn out to be of insufficient quality and strength for construction purposes.
The Hitman PH330 is an acoustic tool that sonically tests the tensile strength all the way up the tree before harvest, allowing the tree to be segregated into construction strength timber, and timber for other uses. This tool reduces waste and saves money in the timber industry.
