Kia ora
June was a strong reminder that IoT is moving quickly from pilot to production across the sectors that matter most to Aotearoa.
In this month’s newsletter, we share a snapshot of key developments, plus upcoming opportunities to connect and contribute — including the Unitec hackathon, part of the AI Forum’s 2026 Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival, where IoT Forum Executive Council members will be involved as mentors, subject matter experts and judges.
We’re also developing future IoT Forum events, including regular meet-ups and a session on security issues in IoT devices. Watch this space.
It’s an exciting time to be building in this space. I hope you enjoy this month’s edition.
We’d love to hear from members about what monthly newsletter content, topics or updates would be most useful and relevant to you — please get in touch and let us know what you’d like to see included.
IoT News
New Zealand
- Itron collaborates with Watercare for NZ’s largest smart water meter upgrade
Itron will supply 100,000 NB-IoT Intelis wSource digital meters to replace mechanical meters across Auckland, supporting Watercare’s wider plan to connect almost half a million smart meters region-wide. The rollout will improve leak detection, billing accuracy and visibility across water infrastructure. Read more. - Spark subsidiary Adroit, Far North District Council and Dryad Networks deploy NZ’s first ‘smart forest’ wildfire detection system
New Zealand’s first Dryad Silvanet wildfire detection deployment is live at Waitangi Endowment Forest, with 250 solar-powered AI sensors connected via Spark’s IoT network. The sensors can detect smouldering fires before visible smoke or flames, giving responders valuable extra time. Read more. - Fieldays 2026 Innovation Awards spotlight sensor-driven AgTech
Sensor-enabled AgTech featured strongly at Fieldays, with Scanabull’s WeighApp winning for LiDAR + AI cattle weighing and Hamilton-based elert’s EQ wearable recognised for equine health monitoring. Read more.
Australia & APAC - Origin Energy and Landis+Gyr launch smart gas metering retrofit in Australia
Origin Energy and Landis+Gyr have launched an 18-month smart gas metering retrofit across Origin’s Australian network. The approach digitises existing gas meters without a full hardware replacement and could scale across millions of installed meters. Read more. - Singapore and Japan activate mutual recognition of IoT cybersecurity labelling schemes
Singapore and Japan will now recognise each other’s IoT cybersecurity labels for smart home hubs, gateways and automation devices. It reduces certification friction and may point to further APAC alignment on IoT security standards. Read more.
Global - Supermicro expands edge AI hardware for industrial IoTSupermicro has expanded its edge AI hardware portfolio for industrial IoT, retail, transport and logistics. The systems support low-latency, on-device inference for cameras, sensors and scanners. Read more.
- Visteon and Qualcomm unveil edge-AI vision platform for industrial automationVisteon and Qualcomm introduced D6Sigma, an edge-AI vision platform for quality inspection, PPE compliance and factory-floor micro-stoppage detection. It signals automotive-grade edge AI moving further into industrial IoT. Read more.
- Geotab acquires Link Labs to expand connected asset trackingGeotab’s acquisition of Link Labs extends its capability from connected vehicles into broader IoT asset tracking, including tools, equipment and cargo. It’s a relevant signal for logistics, construction and utility operators. Read more.
Upcoming Events
Aotearoa AI Hackathon at Unitec
As part of the AI Forum’s 2026 Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival, Dr Masoud Shakiba is hosting the Unitec hackathon from 6–8 August, in collaboration with Seen Ventures.
This event will bring together students, innovators, industry experts and problem-solvers to explore practical AI applications and build solutions that make a real difference.
IoT Forum Executive Council members will also be involved as mentors, subject matter experts and judging panel members, sharing their expertise across AIoT, the convergence of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
Register here.
Read full news here: Smart Water, Smart Forests, Smarter Aotearoa