Stirring The Pot

Getting a great idea out of the lab and into industrial-scale production takes more than good science. It takes capital, the right facility, and someone who's done it before.

In this episode, Matt Rowe, 

Co-Founder, Executive Director, Outset Ventures walks through what it actually takes to scale a hard science or engineering company in New Zealand. He shares lessons from a decade as an early employee at a Kiwi-founded biotech that scaled to giant industrial facilities around the world, from co-founding several deep tech ventures in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), and from backing a world-first green steelmaking technology now heading to industrial trials at a New Zealand steelworks.

He covers why property and infrastructure matter so much in a startup's early days, how venture funding works differently for industrialists than for software founders, the "test tube to tank to tanker" journey most deep tech companies face, and what he tells engineers and scientists who think they've found a breakthrough but haven't yet talked to a customer.

If you liked what you heard today, you may be interested to come and see HERA's new Innovation Center at HERA House in Manukau. Built to give manufacturers, constructors, researchers and startups the space to develop, test and demonstrate what they're working on.

• Find Mat Rowe - https://outset.ventures/mat-rowe

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, Humans of Steel edition, we're having a kōrero (conversation) with Dr Charles Clifton, the civil engineer who started HERA's structural steel division in 1983 and has spent more than four decades reshaping how New Zealand builds with steel.

Charles grew up on a farm in southern Hawke's Bay, the son of an army engineer, before studying civil engineering at the University of Canterbury and designing buildings in England. He came home to take on HERA's newly formed structural division at a time when structural steel had effectively zero market share in New Zealand's multi storey buildings.

In this conversation, Charles walks through what it actually took to change that story. Why steel's reputation for poor earthquake and fire performance was only partly deserved, and what it took to prove it. How he adapted capacity design principles from New Zealand's concrete research to make steel earthquake resilient. Why he had to build a durability design method from scratch when no one else had one, a method Australia later adopted for its own steel industry. And what he found when he investigated the World Trade Center collapse to separate the physics from the fear.

Perseverance, both his and the industry's, is what turned steel from a fringe material into the dominant choice for multi storey construction in New Zealand.

Interview conducted by HERA.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

NZ has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world. So why are we shipping our scrap steel overseas to be recycled?

Cambridge University researcher Michael Allison modelled 28 scenarios to find the decarbonisation pathway for Aotearoa New Zealand's steel industry. In this episode he shares what he found, what the Electric Arc Furnace actually unlocks, and what fabricators, engineers and contractors can do right now.

Research commissioned by HERA.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. The performance of steel structures during an earthquake depends, in large part, on the weld. So how confident are we in the science behind how those welds are designed and sized?

In this episode, HERA's lead research engineer Hafez Taheri walks through the Seismic Research Programme; what 30 years of testing has shown about NZS 3404 weld sizing criteria, why replacing complete penetration welds with fillet or partial penetration alternatives could reduce fabrication costs by up to five times, and what a proposed update to NZS 3404 means for design engineers and fabricators. He also covers the three active research workstreams currently being tested at AUT's structural test hall, in collaboration with the University of Waikato, University of Auckland, AUT, and the University of Michigan, and where robotic welding fits into the future of NZ steel construction.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

In today's Humans of Steel edition of Stirring the Pot, we sit down with Noel Davies, director of Hydro Link, former chair of HERA, and one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most quietly influential business leaders.

Noel joined the Navy at 16, made lieutenant commander by 28, then bought a tiny engineering division out of receivership and grew it past $100M. He chaired HERA for 30 years as the only non-engineer to ever hold the role, became an initial trustee of HEERF, and was awarded the Order of New Zealand for services to engineering, business, and community.

In this conversation, Noel talks about what military life taught him about people and leadership, how he navigated a business purchase that landed straight into receivership, why culture is the foundation of every strategy, and what he learned from 30 years sitting at the table of Aotearoa New Zealand's heavy engineering sector.

He also shares the story behind his book, The Guide to Successful Business Partnerships, and why his wife asked if it applied to marriage.

His answer to almost every question comes back to the same thing. It's all about the people.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we’re joined by HERA’s leadership team for a wide-ranging kōrero on AI, sustainability and what’s really changing inside engineering right now.

The conversation looks at how quickly AI has moved from curiosity to capability. What felt unclear just a year ago is now shaping real projects, real workflows and real decisions. The team talks through where AI is already adding value, where the limits still are, and why reliable data is the real bottleneck for meaningful adoption across design, fabrication and construction.

We dig into what AI means for engineers themselves. Not just productivity gains, but how roles, skills and career pathways are likely to shift. The message is clear: fundamentals don’t change, but how we work with them does. AI becomes a tool, a collaborator, and eventually part of everyday practice, provided we put the right guardrails around it.

Sustainability is another key thread. The discussion moves beyond intent and into practice, looking at low-carbon and circular design, the tools HERA has delivered, and the challenge of integration across siloed systems. The team is candid about where Construction 4.0 still falls short, and why true system-wide optimisation remains hard but necessary.

There’s also a frank look at ethics, accountability and energy use. From AI’s environmental footprint to the risks of black-box software and proprietary data, the episode raises tough questions about trust, transparency and who benefits as technology accelerates.

If you work in engineering, fabrication or construction and want a grounded view on where AI and sustainability are actually heading, this episode offers an honest take on the opportunities, the risks and the work still ahead.

Connect with the HERA team.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we’re having a kōrero with Richard Templer, Chief Executive of Engineering New Zealand | Te Ao Rangahau, about how Aotearoa funds its engineering system and why the levy on steel producers plays a bigger role than many realise. 

Richard explains how the levy underpins HERA’s research, capability building and industry support, and why this kind of stable investment is essential if we want engineers and manufacturers to thrive. He talks about what happens when funding is uncertain, and how it affects everything from skills development to long-term planning.

We look at how other countries structure their systems. Richard highlights Singapore’s coordinated, well-resourced model, where government and industry invest together, and Australia’s stronger national frameworks, which give their engineering sector more certainty and clearer pathways. He contrasts these with New Zealand’s more piecemeal approach, raising the question of how we expect world-class outcomes without consistent backing.

Richard also touches on what a better funding environment here could unlock — stronger retention, deeper expertise, and the confidence for firms to innovate instead of constantly adjusting to boom-and-bust cycles.

If you work in metals, engineering or construction and want to understand why the levy matters, how it supports you, and what New Zealand could learn from its neighbours, this episode offers a straightforward look at the bigger picture.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

🌏 A kōrero on why sustainability is about more than just carbon

When it comes to sustainability, carbon gets most of the attention. But the reality is our planet’s health depends on nine interconnected systems, from oceans and forests to air quality and biodiversity. And many of them have already crossed critical limits.

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we sit down with Dr Kate Meyer, founder of Planetary Accounting, to unpack what planetary boundaries really mean and how planetary accounting helps us measure and manage our impact across all of them.

We cover:
 • What the nine planetary boundaries are and how many we have already exceeded
 • How planetary accounting works and why it goes beyond carbon accounting
 • What this means for construction, design and material choices
 • The surprising trade offs hidden in our sustainability decisions
 • What we can learn from the ozone layer, the one boundary we have successfully restored

Listen in if you want to understand the bigger picture of sustainability and how tools like planetary accounting can help the built environment move from less harm to regenerative impact.

🎧 Find other episodes here: https://hera.org.nz/category/podcast/

📌 Subscribe for more conversations shaping the future of our industry.
 #hera #podcast #planetaryboundaries #planetaryaccounting #sustainability #constructioninnovation #buildingthefuture #engineering

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

In this episode of Stirring the Pot we are having a kōrero with Osama Mughrabi, Mick Fritschy and Caroline James about one of the biggest shifts facing construction: digital product passports.

With costs rising, resources tightening and pressure mounting to build more sustainably, the idea of reusability and circular economy is no longer on the fringes. It is becoming central to how we prepare this sector for the future.

Mick, co founder of Rosala Street, explains what a digital product passport actually is, how it works and why it could reduce admin while building valuable material banks. Caroline from GS1 shares how Europe and other markets are already moving toward passports as policy, and what lessons Aotearoa can take from international developments. Osama brings it back home, looking at how the pilot project is landing in New Zealand and what this means for local manufacturers, contractors and project owners.

Whether you are curious about reducing compliance headaches, looking for ways to meet sustainability goals, or want to understand how global changes could affect your projects, this episode offers insights on where construction is heading and why digital product passports could be a game changer.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we’re having a kōrero with Professor Charles Clifton — legendary structural engineer, longtime HERA collaborator, and newly named Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

From early experiments to revolutionising the way Aotearoa designs for seismic and fire resilience, Charles reflects on his incredible four-decade career in engineering. We explore the big turning points that shaped his journey, the often-overlooked capabilities of structural steel in extreme conditions, and the technical breakthroughs that changed how we build.

Charles also shares what continues to inspire him, what he hopes the next generation of engineers will take on, and the one thing he wants to be remembered for.

💡 Whether you're just starting your engineering journey or have been in the game for years, this episode offers insights on leaving a lasting legacy and designing for impact.

Resources and links

• Connect with HERA team - https://hera.org.nz/about-us/our-people/hera-team/
• Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
• Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
• For live updates, follow us on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/

📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at [email protected]