Extreme weather has tested New Zealand’s infrastructure and reshaped the way financial institutions think about land risk. Floods, slips and rising water tables have exposed weaknesses in how banks and insurers assess property stability. Traditional approaches that rely on council maps and historical claims data are no longer enough. An artistic representation of the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite orbiting above New Zealand. This geospatial data gives lenders, i

NISAR is a deliberate response to a number of traditional radar monitoring issues, as a global baseline monitoring system  that makes ground movement data available to everyone. NISAR satellite with deployed radar and solar arrays. (Source: NASA Science) What are the Benefits of NISAR Compared to Traditional SAR Dual-frequency capability Traditional satellites used a single radar band. NISAR combines L-band and S-band, so it can both penetrate vegetation and capture high-deta

The NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)  satellite is a joint mission between the United States space agency NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). NISAR satellite during assembly and testing. Source: ISRO The NISAR satellite was launched on 30 July 2025 at 17:40 IST (Indian Standard Time) aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket from India, NISAR is designed to measure subtle changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces with unprecedented precision. The satellite’s dua

The primary responsibilities of universities in New Zealand have always been research and education. That’s still the core job. But the nature of innovation has smiply changed. Now that the pace of applied technology is increasing - our institutions need to take on a third role. Act as a launch platform for real-world commercial deployment. Universities are already protecting intellectual property through internal policies, and many have commercialisation offices doing good w

Owning a home in Aotearoa comes with a bit more than just a mortgage and a lawn to mow. Our country’s wild landscapes are the result of some serious underground forces, and they haven’t stopped moving. With active faults, creeping hillsides, coastal erosion, and volcanic zones across both islands – many homeowners are sitting on land that’s subtly shifting beneath them. Especially for Kiwis, a lot of this movement happens too slowly to notice… until it doesn’t. InSAR Land Mov

14 August 2025 – Auckland, New Zealand Avant Global Ltd has entered into an exclusive partnership with UK-based InSAR specialist SatSense to launch LandSure  – a New Zealand based monitoring and reporting platform for New Zealand’s residential and civil markets. The partnership between Avant and SatSense gives a continuous ten-year archive of ground-movement measurements collected by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites. These satellites operate C-band Synthetic

New Zealand straddles the volatile boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates. This tectonic marriage means our mountains, valleys and coastlines are always on the move – sometimes slowly, sometimes in sudden lurches. For decades, scientists relied on ground‑based instruments to measure these shifts. Today, we are using a combination of radar satellites and clever mathematics, to monitor the land movements... even from hundreds of kilometres above. InSAR land-movement

Artificial Intelligence is being used to effectively to map vegetation, buildings, utilities, and water bodies. A New Perspective on New Zealand’s Landscapes When we monitor urban expansion to protecting our uniq ue ecosystems, we require accurate, large-scale, and up-to-date spatial information. Traditional ground surveys provide essential accuracy, and they are often limited in scope and frequency. Wellington city captured with a digital twin overlay, identifying various in

TL;DR High-resolution hyperspectral imaging pinpoints ideal release sites by revealing plant health, moisture and soil characteristics. Complementary data (radar, lidar, climate records, citizen-science observations) refine habitat choice and track ongoing changes. Forecasts of food-plant yields and real-time monitoring via a “digital twin” ensure sustainable resource availability and adaptive management. A conservationist photographs a young tahr grazing in New Zealand’s Sou

Gaining 10-year historical land movement insights in New Zealand via InSAR Satellite. If you're tackling ground stability head‑on as an...

A satellite the size of a small car can spot the ground beneath it shift by less than the width of a fingernail. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) does this by comparing the phase of microwave echoes recorded on repeat satellite passes; any change in path length shows up as coloured fringes that can be converted into millimetres of motion. Because radar works through cloud and in darkness, the technique delivers truly all-weather ground-deformation maps, turni

New Zealand's innovation funding system is outdated and ill-equipped to support the rapid pace of technological advancement. Our counterparts overseas (even as close as Sydney) are accelerating their innovation cycles, and our processes remain sluggish and inflexible. We say it's the way it's always been done. Then my question is why has everyone else BUT us been able to figure it out? People who do not understand the speed at which AI is moving - are the same people holding

This week (May 2025), both Google and Microsoft competed with similar-timed announcements at their respective developer conferences. In typical fashion, they were timed well so that one would not outshine the others. Here's a breakdown of how they compare to each other. This way, you don't have to do the legwork. Ding Ding! Our Commentary: Everything in a quick read. Google's is focusing on enhancing search experiences through AI Mode and developing a robust AI agent ecosyst

AI Agents create automated workflows to simply complex tasks.

We have compiled a Comprehensive Overview of IoT Sensor and Satellite Imaging Technology, for Landslide and Rockfall Monitoring. With the advancement of technology, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors have emerged as a powerful tool for real-time, continuous monitoring of geohazards. These sensors provide valuable data that, when integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) systems, enable predictive analytics and enhance the accuracy of early warning s

TLDR:  Yes, setting up automated drone flights in New Zealand is possible. However, you must strictly follow CAA guidelines, obtain the necessary certifications, conduct thorough risk assessments, and meet specific technical and safety requirements. The new DJI Dock 3 is a fully remote, autonymous drone docking station released early 2025. Automated systems like the DJI Doc 3 can help scan large remote areas efficiently, but they must operate within the regulatory framework s

Creating repetative documents sucks for everyone. Many will look to AI-Automation for document generation, but it will backfire if the human element is left out. When you read an AI-written article online, your reaction is a loss of credibility. The same risk is at play when you look to automate your next RFP. Here are some key advances in AI-Assisted Document Support which are available today: RFP Software Solutions Responsive’s RFP software automates the process of preparin

Advanced Coastal Water Level Management using IoT, Satellite Imagery, and Machine Learning Managing coastal areas in New Zealand involves the ability to monitor and eventually predict rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, and unexpected “events” (like floods or erosion), meaning you need good information in real time. Sensors, satellite imagery, digital twins, and broader data sharing can help councils and other agencies track changes, predict risks, and act effective

Solar farms aren’t just rows of panels soaking up the sun. Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of planning and decision-making that goes into keeping them efficient and profitable. AI is becoming an important tool to help manage solar farms by analysing data and offering insights on energy production, maintenance needs, and panel positioning. AI is only as good as the data it’s fed. If the data is inconsistent or low quality, the AI might give you predictions and recommendations

New Zealand’s summers are becoming increasingly dry, and with this change comes a heightened risk of wildfires. Using open-source data offers councils and emergency teams an accessible way to monitor and mitigate wildfire risks effectively. Why Open-Source GIS Data Matters in Monitoring Wildfires Wildfires thrive on the perfect combination of weather conditions, dry vegetation, and topography. Open-source data provides a wealth of information to track these variables in real-