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6 | AUCKLAND AN INNOVATION HUB OF THE ASIA PACIFIC New Zealand leads the world in EMR (electronic medical record) use in general practice; was the first country to use a decision support system in primary care to assess cardiovascular risk, and the first to build a national database larger than the Framingham Study.Dr Rebecca Grainger, Board Chair, Health Informatics New Zealand, says: “Our academic community has a breadth of research projects underway, including mHealth, big data analytics, telehealth, elabs, epharmacy, person-centric health care, smart homes and more.” Meanwhile, companies like Auckland-headquartered Orion Health are delivering global technology solutions for integration, population health management and precision medicine. Strong biological and medical sciences and specialised electronics sectors have also led to strengths in the design and manufacture of medical devices. Auckland-based Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, for example, is a recognised world leader in the production of devices for use in respiratory care, acute care and the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea, exporting to more than 120 countries globally. Auckland’s leading laboratoriesAuckland is home to a number of leading research institutes engaged in scientific discovery and advancing modern medicine, including:• The Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, regarded internationally as one of the world’s leading anti-cancer drug development laboratories• The Liggins Institute, exploring the influence of the early life environment on long-term health, from fetal and maternal health to endocrinology and epigenetics• The Auckland Bioengineering Institute, which recently developed an artificial and emotionally intelligent virtual assistant• Auckland University of Technology’s highly-rated Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, which played a key role in securing the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport Conference for Auckland in 2018.On the pulse of health innovationNew Zealand’s vibrant health informatics sector is making strides in digital health. Medical and health science