User:Drtcoyle/sandbox

The New Zealand Heavy Engineering Research Association (Incorporated) (abbreviated as HERA or NZHERA) is an independent and not-for-profit research association located in the largest city in New Zealand, Auckland. HERA was created in 1978 in accordance with the Heavy Engineering Research Levy Act, 1978 for the purpose of promoting and conducting research and other scientific work into or relating to the heavy engineering industry. HERA's core expertise are in Engineering research, structural steel engineering, including structural steel design and steel fabrication, with particular expertise in advanced welding and welding 4.0 (the welding aspects of Industry 4.0).

HERA is primarily funded by the legislated levy on steel and welding consumables but also delivers a range of training, consulting and advisory services. Its staff publish in a range of peer-reviewed journals and books  and HERA hosts its own podcast, Stirring the Pot, which aims to tackle the difficult conversations facing the Steel industry in New Zealand. In 2019, HERA collaborated with the Maori Education Trust to create the HERA Whanake Scholarship to support greater Maori with Engineering education. The inaugural recipient of the scholarship was Sarah Lewis. HERA is also a founding member of the Diversity Agenda, which was created to get more women into Engineering.

HERA is the only International Institute of Welding authorised certifying and qualifying body in New Zealand and has a wholly owned subsidiary, HERA Certifications, that audits against International Institute of Welding guidelines and relevant International Standards Organisation, Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand (ISO, NZS and AS/NZS) standards.

In 2018, HERA commissioned an assessment of the Economic Impact of Metals to the New Zealand Economy, making the metals industry the first industry in New Zealand to assess itself against the Living Standards Framework, the economic framework that underpinned the 2019 Wellbeing Budget.