NZ Innovation & Export Podcast

29/09/2026

Some say they can do it faster themselves - But the measurements tell a different story.

Chris says EC8 estimates its pre-cut system delivers around 30% to 40% labour savings, based on the way the team measures installation performance.

The full interview with Chris Staal from EC8 is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

28/09/2026

The automation starts long before the plasterboard reaches the cutting machine.

EC8’s software turns site measurements into cutting code, then its robotic system selects, loads, cuts, packs and labels the sheets at roughly a two-minute cycle time.

The full interview with Chris Staal from EC8 is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

27/09/2026

The first house took two days to cut just three sheets.

Chris says EC8 later reached 27 sheets an hour, but getting there meant solving one very practical problem: two CNC cutting heads that kept crashing into each other.

The full interview with Chris Staal from EC8 is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

25/09/2026

Building the technology is one challenge. Protecting it is another.

Chris Staal explains how EC8 has approached its intellectual property, including two patents and a US grant covering the broader concept behind its digitisation-to-cutting process.

The full interview with Chris Staal from EC8 is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

25/09/2026

Episode 20 is LIVE

What if one of the most labour-intensive parts of building a house could be digitised and largely automated?

Chris Staal from EC8 shares how they automated plasterboard cutting with custom robotics, software and digital measurement.
EC8 system can reduce installation labour by around 30–40% and plasterboard waste by around 20–30%.

Hear how more than five years of R&D turned the idea into a working production system.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast"

The podcast that interviews New Zealand founders and CEOs of businesses that are growing our economy, hosted by Josh Moore from Duoplus.

23/09/2026

What if you could digitise an entire house in two hours?

Chris Staal explains how EC8 captures everything from wall dimensions to power points and pipework, then turns those measurements into optimised cutting instructions for its robotic gib cutting production system.

The full interview with Chris Staal from EC8 is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

15/09/2026

You can build a great product and still find someone else's IP stops you from selling it.

Kate Wilson explains “freedom to operate”, and why checking trademarks, patents and competing rights before entering a market can save businesses from investing in the wrong direction.

The full interview with Kate Wilson from James & Wells is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

14/09/2026

Protection that works in New Zealand may not protect you across the Tasman.

Kate Wilson explains why relying on New Zealand industrial copyright can leave a gap in Australia, and why exporters need to understand the IP rules in each market before expanding.

The full interview with Kate Wilson from James & Wells is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

13/09/2026

At 2pm, Kate got the call. Someone involved in discussions about a new invention had resigned and was heading to a competitor.

What followed was a race to get protection in place, using an overseas patent attorney and the time-zone difference to their advantage.

The full interview with Kate Wilson from James & Wells is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast

13/09/2026

Why would you deliberately make the title of your invention vague?

Kate Wilson explains how a descriptive patent title can reveal what you're developing before you want competitors to know, and why she has searched competitors' patent titles for exactly those clues.

The full interview with Kate Wilson from James & Wells is now live.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favourite podcast app.
Look for "NZ Innovation & Export Podcast".
Or view links here:
www.duoplus.nz/podcast