The HERA Foundation was established in 1992 by the New Zealand Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) as a charitable trust with the main objective to promote the study and understanding of the use of ferrous and non-ferrous metals in the engineering industry.

We do achieve this objective with several activities, such as housing HERA in HERA House or recognising our industry achievers and emerging engineering professionals.

Many students and professional engineers who received HERA Foundation funding in the early parts of their careers have subsequently gone on to establish great professional careers and be recognised with distinguished awards in New Zealand.

Our best-known example is Associate Prof Dr Charles Clifton from the University of Auckland. You can read his story on the our stories page.

Metals due to their inherent physical properties and sustainability credentials will continue to play a dominant role in economic development. But sustainable usage is challenged by its carbon footprint and technological sophistication.

Yet there is great potential for metals outside their mere recyclability aspect with metals-making with renewable energy being a real possibility. However, this can only be achieved if people skills development and R&D are supported in a worldwide effort.

New Zealand has a proud record in metals engineering even developing its own unique steel making process from iron sand or establishing highly efficient and low-cost seismic forces resisting steel construction systems. HERA and our technical institutions have a strong tradition of working together and New Zealand has punched well above its weight in metals engineering and the associated people development.

In our view this ongoing innovation effort in local metals engineering must continue in order to maintain our industry’s competitiveness, local jobs and a sustainable future and hence the ongoing role of the HERA Foundation will remain relevant for many years to come.

Our industry leaders made sure the HERA Foundation has s a solid base income to ensuring its fundamental objectives can be achieved. And if you want to know more about our base funding read here.

Your financial contribution will be complimentary to the base funding and will enhance the outcomes of the Foundation-funded activities.

Most donations come from industry members. Because, if our industry isn’t willing to support itself, who will? And we do of course welcome contributions also made from outside our industry by those identifying with us or supporting someone from the industry such as a scholarship recipient.

The donation options start from just a small give a little amount either once off or regularly, to a bigger donations or bequests with or without strings attached.

Many students and professional engineers who received HERA Foundation funding in the early parts of their careers have subsequently gone on to establish great professional careers and be recognised with distinguished awards in New Zealand.

Making a give-a-little donation

A small donation can immediately have an impact on the future of our workforce and ability to share and foster expertise. It is easy to administer as no specific action is linked to it.

A small donation can immediately have an impact on the future of our workforce and ability to share and foster expertise. It is easy to administer as no specific action is linked to it.

The give-a-little donation process is simple and allows you to make one off or regular monthly or yearly donations via an automatic bank payment. And just tick a box if you want a receipt to document your tax-deductible donation.
The give -a-little donation process also allows you to specify your own amount to donate and we gratefully accept any amount you may wish to specify in this category. Of course, you can cancel regular payments at any time by writing/e-mailing to the Foundation Secretary.

Larger recognised donations or bequests

Larger donations or bequests exceeding the typical give-a-little range but free of legacy demands or linked research topic requests are registered in the donations register with a choice of showing or not what you donated. Note this registry is new and previous donation do not show.

Creating a legacy through a donation or bequest

If you would like to make a donation or bequest to our charity with a specific funding purpose link or legacy connection in mind you need to contact our Secretary to go through the options and process this with you.

By example, our best-known legacy award is the Keith Smith Memorial Award, recognising distinguished persons for their contribution to our industry.

Keith Smith was the driver behind the establishment of HERA and the HERA Foundation. Prior to his death he made a bequest over a considerable sum of money in his will, the interest of which funds since his death the prize attached to Keith’s award. And it is with great pleasure to see his wife Jean regularly joining the industry members at HERA’s award dinners to hand out in Keith’s memory this most prestigious industry awards.

If you would like to know who previous Keith Smith Award winners are read more here.

If you would like to nominate someone who you feel deserves the award, follow this link.

Linking a name to a once off or a continues donation to a scholarship or a particular research topic are popular ways to create a legacy for yourself, your family or your company. And if you have something in mind now contact our Foundation Secretary, Dr Wolfgang Scholz, today.