A new Callaghan Innovation-led initiative will support Kiwi businesses of all sizes and stages to boost productivity and competitiveness through the transformative power of artificial intelligence.
Science Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins launched the AI Activator at the Aotearoa AI Summit last week. The AI Activator is designed to boost economic growth and exports via the rapid adoption of AI. The initiative is a collaboration between Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
“Globally, there are significant and growing opportunities to harness the power of AI,” says Callaghan Innovation Head of AI and Digital Sarah Sun. “There is a growing gap between those who understand and use AI, and those who don’t. Some businesses find it hard to know where and how to start – that’s where the AI Activator comes in.
“The AI Activator is here to support the success of all growth-focused Kiwi businesses, wherever they are on their AI journey. It’s an exciting time to be in business, and we are looking forward to helping support the success of more Kiwi AI innovators.”
The AI Activator is based on the highly effective ‘activator’ model developed by Callaghan Innovation for ecosystem-wide support. “Activators, including the HealthTech and AgriTech Activator, have been really successful in supporting the needs of early-stage and innovation-intensive companies in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“The new AI Activator initiative provides access to AI expertise, R&D resources, AI tools for businesses and interactive learning modules. We are keen to work with businesses who want to know the basics and understand opportunities and risk mitigations for AI-solutions. There is something for everyone.”
At the summit, innovative Christchurch start-up Script Sense showcased how AI can enable ingenious Kiwis to develop new products for global markets. Script Sense is an award-winning AI platform that helps pharmacists to overcome workforce challenges, enhance efficiency, and improve patient care.
“AI has opened up a world of opportunities for Script Sense to innovate in the pharmacy sector,” says co-founder Kieran Erasmuson. “By harnessing AI, we’ve created a platform that not only addresses the pressing issue of pharmacy workforce shortages in New Zealand but also has the potential to transform healthcare operations globally.
“Our AI-driven approach allows pharmacists to focus on what truly matters – patient care – while improving efficiency and safety. As a Kiwi company, we’re excited to showcase how AI can enable us to develop world-class solutions that can compete on the global stage.”
Recent research commissioned by the AI Forum found that 67 per cent of Aotearoa New Zealand businesses surveyed are using AI, with most of these using generative AI, says Callaghan Innovation Chief Executive Stefan Korn.
“It’s great to see so many businesses taking advantage of automation and efficiency gains through AI on a wide range of tasks. This is helping to free people up to focus on higher level, strategic work and opportunities to accelerate growth. We are looking forward to supporting businesses – wherever they are on their AI journey – to take advantage of a new world of opportunities for growth.”
