Latest news with #SyosAerospace
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Tauranga drone company wins big at tech awards
Tauranga based drone manufacturer Syos Aerospace won the top prize at the Hi-Tech Awards last night in Wellington. The company makes uncrewed vehicles for land, sea and air and recently won a big UK defence contract. CEO and founder Samuel Vye talks to Susie. Samuel Vye Photo: Supplied / Matthew Power
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Drone-maker Syos Aerospace wins top honour at NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Founded in 2021, the company develops and manufactures heavy-lifting drones and autonomous boats and ground vehicles. It recently signed a $66.8 million supply contract with the British Defence Force to supply drones for Ukraine. The Syos team comprises more than 50 industry-leading engineers, with research and development operations in Mount Maunganui and a production site in Britain. Judges said Syos showed a company could build 'big things' in small, pleasant places. 'The company sells its products to government and commercial customers for security, border patrol, surveillance, disaster response, delivery logistics support, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. 'They have made the 'jump' overseas that is critical to getting Kiwi companies to global scale.' More than 80 local and international judges contributed to deciding the awards. Syos Aerospace chief executive Samuel Vye told the Bay of Plenty Times before the awards that what set Syos apart was how quickly it had grown. Until only a couple of months ago, it had 'flown under the radar', relentlessly focused on 'rapid development'. 'Our reputation has been built on customer delivery and growth. We are pushing hard, growing hard, and we're setting up production here in the Bay of Plenty.' Vye said Syos had its sights set 'pretty high' as to how big it could grow. 'We really are focusing on growing New Zealand in the tech space and trying to put New Zealand out there as a technology country. 'Our relentless growth isn't pausing,' he said. Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale congratulated all the Tauranga-based winners and finalists. Drysdale said Tauranga was being increasingly recognised not just for its lifestyle, but as a serious contender on the national stage where businesses could scale globally from a regional base. Advertise with NZME. 'This is a phenomenal achievement and testament to our region's growing reputation as a hub for innovation and strong influence on New Zealand's tech and innovation landscape.' A company based in Waikato that has worked on significant projects in Tauranga won Māori Company of the Year. Deep Dive Division is a robotic diving company founded in 2018 by Tua and Courtney Karalus. It has worked on everything from salvage and biosecurity to films (including Avatar: The Way of Water) and creating artificial reefs in the Tauranga Harbour. 'It's really cool to pave the way as a Māori Pacific business,' Courtney Karalus said. She said it was important to work with excellence, but also to be inspirational for the future, knowing that anything is possible in their community. 'It's also badass to look after the environment while you're doing it, because everyone loves the water.' Tua Karalus said he just wanted people to 'embrace the water'. 'We're out there, we're doing it, and there's a really bright future in the environmental space.' Best Software finalist Carepatron, which helps medical practices manage appointments in person and online, was highly commended in the Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution section. Tauranga's Jenny Rudd was a finalist in the Inspiring Individual category, but missed out on the win. She founded Dispute Buddy, a software program that supports people with the Family Court process by helping them find and extract texts, emails and messages needed as evidence. Bay of Plenty finalists for Best Manufacturer – wearable lymphatic therapy company Flowpresso and pH-measuring device maker Bluelab – also missed out. New Zealand Hi-Tech Trust chair Marian Johnson said she saw the achievements of the tech sector as something all of Aotearoa could take pride in after the challenging past couple of years. 'We continue to see exceptional growth of both our largest tech companies and burgeoning ecosystem of start-ups,' Johnson said in a statement. 'We're witnessing an industry that is continuing exceptional growth as well as innovation and matching it with the best in the world.' 2025 NZ Hi-Tech Award winners PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year Syos Aerospace Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever Luke Campbell (co-founder & CEO of VXT) Spark Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good Optimation Consult Recruitment Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector Talent RISE Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Datacom Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual Lee Timutimu Aware – an HSO Company Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution Kitea Health Poutama Trust Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year Deep Dive Division Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Tait Communications Flying Kiwi Sir Peter Beck NZX Most Innovative Hi-Tech Creative Technology Solution The Village Goldsmith Duncan Cotterill Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution Winner: Toku Eyes Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Highly Commended: Carepatron Braemac Most Innovative Hi-Tech Manufacturer of the Year The Village Goldsmith Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Solution for a More Sustainable Future Cleanery NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution Advertise with NZME. Mindhive Global Punakaiki Hi-Tech Start-up Company of the Year Mindhive Global ASX Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year Winner: Projectworks Highly Commended: Calocurb
National Business Review
23-05-2025
- Business
- National Business Review
Drone company Syos Aerospace named NZ Hi-Tech company of the year
Aerospace dominates the top gongs in this year's annual NZ Hi-Tech Awards with Mount Maunganui drone company Syos Aerospace winning Company of the Year and Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck named Flying Kiwi. Syos founder Sam Vye told NBR in February that the four-year-old company hopes to triple
1News
27-04-2025
- Business
- 1News
Inside the Tauranga drone company with a $66m UK defence contract
Amongst cluster of warehouses in Tauranga's industrial zone, there's a large shed with no signage. Inside are workers developing some of the world's most technologically sophisticated and revolutionary modes of transport. It's the head quarters of Syos Aerospace, a drone manufacturer that has just signed contracts with the UK's Ministry of Defence worth $66.8 million dollars. Syos Aerospace CEO and founder Samuel Vye spoke to Q+A the day before he left to the UK for the announcement of the deal. While he was unable to divulge the details of the deal, he was happy to talk about the work of his robotics company. The Tauranga warehouse is Syos's development and research hub. The prototypes are trialled in New Zealand but manufactured in a facility South East of London. UAV's or unmanned aerial vehicles make up the bulk of the work but Syos has also developed, long range uncrewed vessels, helicopters and ground vehicles. Inside their headquarters, an array of aerial drones and parts sit on long work benches. It's the weekend so not many technicians are in but in an adjoining area, an engineering is fine tuning the rotor on an uncrewed helicopter. There are impressive display prototypes in a showroom area. One of them, a missile shaped drone, with retro Thunderbirds vibes, has one role, Samuel Vye explained; to shoot other drones out of the sky. The robotics company has been supplying the British Ministry of Defence with drones and won contracts with other customers up against some of the world's biggest aero-space companies. When Q+A asked Vye about why a small Bay of Plenty robotics company is becoming a go-to drone manufacturer, he replied: 'It's not about the specific drone." "It's about the capability that Syos Aerospace has in rapidly developing the next drone that's needed by the customer. So we're always horizon scanning what the future looks like so at the drop of a hat we can spend six weeks and rapidly develop the next drone systems that a customer might currently need." He told Q+A that it would be keen to bid for contracts when the New Zealand Ministry of Defence puts out tenders for drone supply. The Ministry's recently released Defence Capability Plan indicates it has between $200 million and $450m to spend on drones for maritime and security surveillance and combat. At a UK military base this last week, Vye and his team presented the company's latest drone technology to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The British Prime Minister made special mention of Syos in when announcing a new UK and NZ defence co-operation agreement. Starmer confirmed that the drone deal with Syos would support Ukraine. Back in Tauranga, the Syos CEO answers questions about how their drones may be used in war. 'We don't stick weapons on any of our drone systems.' 'So we stay away from that controversial subject so all our systems are set up as surveillance, cargo systems to be multi role, multi use by our customers.' On the question of whether the drones provide a platform to be armed, Vye said: "I guess a Toyota Hilux provides a platform to be armed." The systems developed by Syos have a wide range of applications beyond conflict zones. There's a race on to produce long range aerial drones and USVs, unmanned surface vehicles; boats that can surveille and patrol the far reaches of New Zealand's massive EEZ. Other systems can be used for conservation work, fire fighting and search and rescue. Vye said the world will soon look very different. 'Imagine numerous swarming drone systems in the sky, on the ground, in the sea. "The low cost, high volume, mass application of drones is really the future."
Epoch Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Small NZ Company Wins Contract to Supply UK With Drones Bound for Ukraine
A four-year-old New Zealand company, operating from an unassuming warehouse in Tauranga—best known as a seaside holiday and retirement location—has won a NZ$66.8 million (US$39.88 million) contract to supply the UK government with drones for use in Ukraine. Syos Aerospace was formed in 2021 and specialises in the manufacture of uncrewed vehicles for air, land, and sea use. It makes 'heavy-lift' unmanned helicopters suitable for aerial operations in remote locations. Its flagship model is the SA200, with a payload capacity of 200 kilograms and a flight endurance of 2 hours. The company already has a production site in the UK and plans to expand into Australia and the United States. Syos has developed a proprietary control system that can operate in areas where satellite-based navigation is unavailable or unreliable due to various factors such as interference, signal blockage, or intentional jamming. The drones use AI to support remote human pilots but can also operate autonomously. Built at its factory in Hampshire, southeast of London, they have previously been deployed to combat zones. Related Stories 4/8/2025 4/22/2025 The deal was announced by British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer as the UK and New Zealand both increase their defence spending to 2.5 and 2 percent of GDP, respectively, and NZ Prime Minister Chris Luxon visits Britain. The expansion of defence spending has led Syos to forecast that its revenue will triple in the coming year. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd-R) attend a presentation of Ukrainian military drones in Kyiv, on Jan. 16, 2025. TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty Images Starmer said in a statement that the two countries would continue to work 'to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to deter an increasingly aggressive Russia.' 'From the beaches of Gallipoli to the vital work we have been doing together on Operation Interflex and our support for Ukraine, the UK and New Zealand have stood shoulder-to-shoulder for generations in pursuit of peace and stability,' he said. New Zealand, which has also been contributing to plans for post-conflict support for Ukraine through the Coalition of the Willing, confirmed on April 23 that it would extend its support for Operation Interflex. The operation has trained more than 54,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the UK to date and will now continue until the end of the year. Luxon visited on April 22 to see the training firsthand. The two countries plan to increase their cooperation on defence and security matters. The UK government has confirmed that the respective defence ministers were instructed to work on a new joint defence partnership to replace the one signed in 2015. 'It will also recognise the vital partnership between the UK and New Zealand in upholding stability and security across Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific,' a government release said. The Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha has joined the UK Carrier Strike Group, which left Portsmouth today bound for the Indian Ocean.
