KAREN is designed to support innovative partnerships like the new Auckland-based graphical communications technology incubator, Nextspace.

Right Hemisphere®, the leading provider of Product Graphics Management (PGM) software, has appointed Kiwi virtual reality expert Dr. Roy Davies to manage, Nextspace. An extensively published and world-renowned expert on the subject of virtual reality, Dr. Davies returns home to New Zealand from Sweden where he established a research-focused virtual reality centre from the ground up at the University of Lund.

Nextspace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Right Hemisphere and not-for profit organisation slated to open for business later in the year. Nextspace will conduct research and development but will also have a more commercial dimension, bringing together technologies to create commercial applications and potential new 3D graphic communication products and solutions. The company will seek to establish close links with both New Zealand universities and other research organisations.

"Nextspace aims to make graphical communications technology a major industry and export for New Zealand," said Dr. Davies.

Nextspace has already established a relationship with the New Zealand Supercomputer Centre (NZSC) to access the supercomputing resources necessary to support its programme. Dr. Davies said Nextspace's collaboration with the NZSC would allow its users to gain easy access to processing capabilities for important calculations, simulations or time-critical solutions.

The opportunities provided by KAREN partnering with Nextspace for international collaboration on research and commercial applications are very much in line with the vision of this highspeed research and education network's contribution to an innovative New Zealand.

More information can be found at http://www10.mcadcafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?articleid=342625&page_no=1