Kia ora,
This year has firmly cemented the Internet of Things as a critical pillar for digital transformation across Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. If 2024 was about consolidating the drive for impact, 2025 has been defined by acceleration and the need for trust and security as scale increases.
NZ IoT and Global Highlights 2025
Globally, we’ve seen unprecedented investment and deployment in Industrial IoT (IIoT), particularly in smart manufacturing and precision logistics. Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, the momentum continues to build, with IoT data-driven insights delivering substantial value across key sectors like agriculture, utilities, and environmental monitoring. Our members and the wider community have driven innovation in everything from enhancing water quality and biodiversity tracking to creating more resilient supply chains. The collective effort of the NZ IoT Alliance this year has focused on expanding market awareness, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and ensuring a robust regulatory environment that supports responsible growth.
A Trans-Tasman Focus on Trust
I was deeply honoured this year to accept an appointment to the board of the IoT Alliance Australia (IoTAA). This role allows us to build stronger trans-Tasman ties, ensuring that New Zealand remains aligned with regional best practices and accelerates our combined efforts to drive digital maturity.
A key example of this alignment is the major work being undertaken in Australia on consumer protection. On 7 September, the IoTAA, supported by industry partners, launched the co-design and implementation of a new Labelling Scheme for Smart Devices. This is a voluntary, industry-led scheme, backed by the Federal Government’s Cyber Security Strategy, aimed at helping consumers make informed decisions about the level of security when purchasing smart devices.
This initiative is highly relevant to New Zealand. As Australia moves to put a security stamp on consumer IoT, it sets a powerful precedent for regional standards. It creates an opportunity for NZ to harmonise our approach to device security and consumer trust, ensuring that our local market benefits from secure-by-design products and that our manufacturers are competitive across the Tasman.
The Outlook for 2026: AI, Physical AI, and Collective Action
Looking ahead to 2026, the biggest accelerator for IoT will be the deeper integration of Artificial Intelligence and the rise of Physical AI.
AI-Enhanced IoT: IoT is the sensory layer providing the real-time data, while AI is the brain that derives predictive and prescriptive insights. This integration will move us beyond simple monitoring to truly autonomous, optimised systems in areas like energy grids, infrastructure, and automated farm management.
Physical AI: We will see the blurring of lines between the digital and physical worlds as AI starts controlling physical actuators (robots, drones, machinery) based on IoT data, creating a new wave of automation known as Physical AI. This shift will demand even greater focus on trust, reliability, and ethical frameworks in the coming year.
The NZ IoT Alliance Executive Council will hold a strategy planning session early in 2026 to gear up for this new era, focusing on the infrastructure and skills needed to leverage AI-powered IoT. Key activities will continue through our events, related articles and strong advocacy to Government. We welcome further input from members and the wider community – it is only collectively that we can realise the value potential of IoT across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Last but most importantly, we’d like to thank all our members for their support and sustained involvement in driving IoT forward in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Industry Updates
“New Biometric Processing Privacy Code 2025 Sets Clear Rules for IoT Solutions Using Biometric Data”. Read more.
New Zealand is preparing to roll out what could become the world’s largest mandatory road user charging system, affecting nearly every vehicle owner in the country. Read more.
Scopious IoT partners with Spark to accelerate IoT adoption across New Zealand and the Pacific. Read more.
NNNCo (part of nxzen) acquired a New Zealand-developed utilities monitoring solution, PowerPilot. The tool provides AI-enabled LoRaWAN monitoring for electricity networks — enabling real-time, device-level visibility across low- and high-voltage networks. Read more.
Attending an industry event or building a standout IoT project? Share the details via this form. and we’ll share it with our community.
Wishing you all a safe, enjoyable festive season and we look forward to engaging together through our various initiatives in 2026.
Ngā mihi,
Kriv Naicker
Co-Chair
NZ IoT Alliance
Read full news here: Reflecting on 2025: Building Trust and Momentum Across the IoT Landscape