Tracplus Global Wins International Technium Challenge
Dunedin technology company beats 31 international companies
to win prestigious competition
Auckland, 3 June 2008 – International Business Wales and Technium UK today announced New Zealand technology company
TracPlus Global Limited, providers of a ground-breaking GPS tracking service, as the winner of the International
Technium Challenge.
It is the second year running that a company from New Zealand has won the competition and TracPlus Global, which is
based in Dunedin, now intends to open a base in Wales to target the UK and European markets.
TracPlus’s service is used by aircrafts, vehicles and vessels throughout New Zealand and Australia including: private
and commercial aircraft owners, boating enthusiasts, air rescue helicopter trusts, emergency response services and
governments. TracPlus can prove invaluable in rescue missions when the tracking system can be used to locate the flight
path of a missing plane.
The International Technium Challenge is a worldwide, business planning competition to identify and support innovative
technology-based businesses with growth potential. The global competition is organised each year by International
Business Wales (IBW) and Technium UK, and gives one company from dozens of international competitors, a UK business
passport to open an office in Wales establishing a beachhead into the lucrative European market.
Kiwi winners TracPlus Global beat 31 companies across nine countries including Australia, China, USA, France and Japan
to win the worldwide challenge. Six companies were selected to compete in the final leg of the competition which
involved a weeklong Learning Journey in Wales. TracPlus Global, along with the 15 other countries presented their
business cases to the Technium UK judging panel which comprised patent attorneys, solicitors, management consultants to
the University of Wales Newport Business School and big name CEO’s such as Sony Corporation’s global CEO Sir Howard
Stringer.
In addition to office space in a Technium business innovation and incubation centre in Wales, TracPlus Global will also
receive an impressive business support package including legal, marketing and business advice, capital raising
assistance, personnel / manufacture sourcing and ongoing guidance for navigating the UK market and more.
TracPlus Global has had a banner year. In addition to winning the Technium Challenge, the Company received the Mateship
Award for its part in helping two kayakers on their 3,000 km, 61-day journey from Australia to New Zealand, while
continuing to secure prestigious contracts and expand overseas. TracPlus Global is currently being used in 12 countries
as well as Antarctica.
Head of International Business Wales (Australia and New Zealand) Gareth Davies congratulated TracPlus Global on their
win in the international competition.
“TracPlus stood out from the beginning, especially in terms of their business proposition for expansion into the UK
market. Chris and the TracPlus team will now be able to utilise one of Wales’ 12 advanced Technium Centres where they
can take advantage of a range of specialist knowledge, collaborate with a cluster of other technology companies in the
Technium community, as well as find support to help build their success in the UK market.”
This marks the second year in a row that New Zealand has taken home the top honour at the international competition.
Davies applauded TracPlus Global as an outstanding example of a Kiwi company taking up the challenge of the global
economy.
“TracPlus Global is a great example of a company leveraging a superb new business model firmly anchored in New Zealand
but looking to access and scale itself in global markets as a key to success – that is exactly the sort of company that
IBW can assist in the UK market,” says Davies.
Chris Hinch, CEO of TracPlus Global says the Company is thrilled to have won the programme offered by Technium UK and
IBW.
“I’ve been incredibly impressed with how IBW has taken an integrated and coordinated approach to attracting and
supporting new businesses into the UK market. We look forward to taking full advantage of the support provided by the
Technium UK business passport programme to take TracPlus Global worldwide.”
ENDS