By addressing seperate problems from different areas of the beer industry, the integrated solution can help to future proof the beer industry in New Zealand by increasing profit margins and export earnings. The problems range from the issues associated with the inputs of beer production, the efficiency of the brewing of beer, the waste products of beer production and the bottling of the beer.

 

From an economical perspective, craft breweries investing in the hop industry would reduce the issues surrounding the shortage of hops for New Zealand breweries, along with increasing export earnings from excess hops. The technological issues can also be addressed by improving the efficiency of the brewing process using the addition of electromagnetic filtration to remove the unwanted substances from beer. This would eliminate the need for mechancial filters such as whirlpool tanks, decreasing the cost of production for brewers,  while increasing profit margins, production rate and size, and export capacity. The environmental side of brewing could be improved by focussing on the waste products of beer production as these are a large cost for producers. By using the spent grain to create further food products, the environmental impact of brewing beer could be reduced, and additional earnings could be created for producers. The bottling of the beer also has a major environmental impact, which increases the cost of production for breweries, and decreases consumer demand. By creating a thinner, more environmentally friendly bottle to sell and export the beer in, consumer demand will increase and the cost of production and exportation can decrease due to the reduced weight of the bottle. These individual solutions can be integrated and implemented by 2025 to create a combined solution to increase profit margins and export earnings for the New Zealand beer industry. 

 

In order to best futureproof the New Zealand beer industry, the intellectual property involved with these integrated solutions must be protected. The best way to achieve this protection varies depending on the individual solution. The idea of craft breweries investing in the hop industry cannot be protected by trade secret or patenting due to the nature of the solution, while the new bottles would best be protected under a patent. The magnetic filtration may be able to be protected under a trade secret, but patenting could also be an option. Depending on the food products created with the waste products of beer, both patents and/or trade secrets could be considered to protect the idea. As the protection of intellectual property can be lengthy and expensive, the processes of obtaining sufficient protection must be integrated into the timeline relatively early and a portion of the implementation budget must be allocated to this cause.