High Fliers Launch Kea Aerospace
High fliers from the world of politics mingled with scientists and entrepreneurs at this week’s company launch for Kea Aerospace.
Kindly hosted at Spark’s wonderful new corporate office in central Christchurch, the event ushered the company onto the world stage with help of Hon. Megan Woods, Minister for Research, Science and Technology and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel.
Kea Aerospace is building a high altitude autonomous aircraft for gathering high resolution remote sensing data. The company will deliver an integrated approach by offering data acquisition, processing and interpretation for customers. The remotely piloted aircraft operates at about twice the altitude of a commercial airliner and can fly for weeks due to being fully solar powered.
Ms. Woods spoke about “innovation with purpose” as she outlined her enthusiasm to continue supporting innovative new companies in their global aspirations. Kea Aerospace founder Mark Rocket thanked Woods for her support as he explained that the company had recently been accepted into the government run airspace integration trial. The project is expected to blaze a trail for the rules governing safe use of drone aircraft within and around operational airspace. With New Zealand showing leadership in this area, it brings global attention to Canterbury’s burgeoning aerospace industry, he said.
Channelling the Canterbury pioneering spirit in her speech, Mayor Dalziel suggested that innovative and clever Cantabrians had always found smart ways to overcome obstacles leading to economic opportunities. With aerospace now a major focus across the region through ChristchurchNZ’s economic strategy, the company launch was timely, she said.
Kea Aerospace is working with advisors based at UCE ThincLab and has a team member co-opted from the MBA programme at University of Canterbury Business School.
