UK companies seek markets for innovative technology

Representatives of 10 small businesses in Britain will visit New Zealand next week.

The trade mission - from the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry - will highlight products and services ranging from an electronic interactive whiteboard system to an executive search facility.

"Many of the companies will be building on links formed during the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester," mission leader Alison Fisher, head of international trade at the Liverpool Chamber, said.

In Auckland the visitors will attend a briefing at the British Consulate and business meetings before visiting other cities. The visitors:

* The Oxley Group staff are experts in night-vision-compatible lighting systems and advanced lighting technologies such as Survivolite and Floodnite.

Survivolite is an LED-based emergency lighting system for avionic and marine applications; Floodnite is an infrared covert LED security lighting system for CCTV camera installations.

Its e-tag memory buttons are electronic tags attached to equipment that allow data to be recorded on the tag - and electronically held with the equipment.

* An electronic interactive whiteboard system, the ACTIVboard, comes from Promethean, a company specialising in systems that harness ICT information and communications technology for group teaching and learning.

The board is a projection surface connected to a PC (or video cassette player). It replaces whiteboards, blackboards, overhead projection systems, flipcharts and TVs.

ACTIVstudio software allows users to annotate over any PC application, web page or image. The annotations are digital and can be printed, exported as web pages or saved to disc.

* Angel Solutions wants contacts in New Zealand before setting up a branch office. The company is an ICT consultancy specialising in software and website development, concentrating on educational systems and information.

* Gaining a better understanding of the market and trying to increase sales coverage in the region are the main objectives of GreenMech, a manufacturer and designer of wood chippers, green-waste shredders and stump grinders.

The ChipMaster range of wood chippers have, as an option, a disc blade-cutting device.

The discs are mounted on a flywheel. They are sharpened all around, but only a fraction of the cutting head on each disc is used, the rest being kept in reserve. This means there is more time between maintenance and sharpening sessions.

* AEM provides accessory maintenance services for more than 2000 components covering a variety of aircraft systems.

The company, which supports international and regional airlines, helicopter operators and airframe manufacturers, is using the visit to assess business opportunities.

* Jewellery by Appointment specialises in antique and designer costume jewellery. It recently launched a range of fashion accessories and is keen to contact companies involved in the marketing and distribution of jewellery.

* Other participants include Project Assignment International, an executive search company, and Greater Merseyside Enterprise, a business support organisation looking at international trade opportunities for UK companies.

For more information contact Brian Murray at the British Consulate: (09) 3032973.