Sir Angus Tait was named the first Flying Kiwi Award winner at the recent 2003 Westpac Hi-Tech Awards, Steve Mann shared in Adilam Young Achiever of the Year Award, and Tait gained runner-up in the Tyco Electronics Deal of the Year Award.

Sir Angus Tait - NZ's First Hi-Tech Hall of Fame Inductee

The Christchurch Press reports on the Hi-Tech Awards: "In a special award presentation, the [New Zealand hi-tech] industry also acknowledged the significant contribution made by Christchurch's electronics industry doyen, Sir Angus Tait. Describing him as an inspirational leader and industry pioneer, they announced him as the first-ever Flying Kiwi Award."

Recipients of the Flying Kiwi Award are automatic inductees into the New Zealand Hi Tech Hall Fame.

Stephen Mann (Tait) & Mike Cook (Hort Research) Joint Winners Adilam Young Achiever of the Year Award

Steve Mann has been with Tait Electronics for six years and has gained patents in New Zealand and internationally. They will be used in Tait's next generation of digital two-way radio technology for public safety organisations. His achievements mean that many processing tasks can now be undertaken digitally instead of using analogue components. It also means that Tait's digital products will easily reconfigure to meet the requirements of its export markets. The company said in its citation that Steve has creatively anticipated customer needs and has delivered commercial value over and above "mere technical innovation".

Steve has a Master of Engineering from the University of Canterbury, and he obtained his PhD in Electronic Engineering at Bristol University. He already had patents for three areas of linear power amplifier design, and has since specialised in digital Cartesian loop technology. Tait Electronics says Steve's work is key to its next generation of efficient, highly integrated and software-controlled, multiple-modulation-mode transmitters. The first commercialisation of his patents by Tait Electronics will be a new range of digital equipment planned for release early in 2005. The company says that at a young age Steve is established as a future technology leader at Tait and the wider high tech sector as a whole.

Tait Electronics Ltd Gains Commendation for Tyco Electronics Deal of the Year Award

IT HAS been ten years since Tait Electronics last entered the Hi-Tech Awards — in 1993 it won the Supreme Award — this year it was commended for securing an outstanding deal with the Australian Department of Defence.

Tait Electronics' ability to provide innovative solutions and to solve major technical difficulties resulted in a new radio communications roll-out at Defence training areas across Australia.

Tait won the multi-million dollar supply contract, as it was the only company that provided the radio requirements that suited the safety communication system wanted by Defence. The system minimises risk by avoiding the need to change frequencies depending on where personnel might be in the training area. This was successfully achieved using Tait's revolutionary Quasi-Sync system, previously supplied to emergency services and local authorities. Quasi-Sync makes clever use of technology to avoid deadspots and ensure clear communication in coverage overlap areas.

Other important considerations were that both military and standard commercial radios would need to be able to communicate as part of the safety network, and the system had to meet NATO specifications so military personnel from a range of countries could use their radios on the system during international exercises.

Some said it couldn't be done. The success of the system has led to another contract to provide a similar system at a large defence training ground in Western Europe. It is to Tait's credit that 10 years on from its first award, they are still inspiring new business through product innovation.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: The first sale of commercial telecommunications equipment to the Australian Defence Forces has opened the doors for international opportunities in the Defence arena — this is an outstanding export deal by an icon New Zealand company.

See http://www.hitech.org.nz/djm_pr_2003_winners.pdf for more information on other winners.

See the Herald for Fran O'Sullivan's comments.