16 Apr 2026
New Engineering New Zealand Fellow Toa Greening is a technologist whose career spans information engineering, IT security and sustainable innovation. He’s best known for advancing microcar electric vehicles (EVs) through Microcar NZ Ltd, where he promoted narrow EVs such as the Tango T600 as practical solutions to congestion and emissions.
His work highlights micromobility as a pathway to decarbonise transport while maintaining efficiency on urban roads. He has also established himself as a “Radio Spectrum Kaitiaki” advocating for responsible management of the radio frequency spectrum to support communications and emerging technologies. His dual focus on sustainable transport and spectrum stewardship reflects a broader commitment to future-ready infrastructure and innovation.
What’s on your bedside table?
My phone – mostly just for the alarm – and a worn‑out pair of red earphones that only works through one side. By about 5am, a small child is usually perched beside it, updating their breakfast order and reminding me that an Orca isn’t really a killer whale at all, but a dolphin.
Any books, and if so, why did you choose them?
The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton Christensen looks at why big companies often fail when new technologies disrupt their industries. It is very motivating in terms of what I have been trying to achieve with Microcar EVs.
Nga Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship by Monty Soutar is a timeline and collection of stories from WW2 soldiers of the East Coast Company C Māori Battalion. It’s both personal and motivating at the same time.
Photo: Brady Dyer Photography
How do they help you in your work?
They are both motivational books, one which provides personal motivation of the past with a grandparent who served in the Māori Battalion and my other grandparents who were persecuted in Nazi-occupied Holland. The Innovator’s Dilemma inspires me to push beyond conventional “advice” and overcome the setbacks I encounter in advancing Microcar EVs.
Which group of engineering professionals are these books most helpful for?
Engineers working on innovative or disruptive technologies need to stay grounded. Motivational reading and connecting with like-minded peers can help maintain focus and resilience.
What is the top book or publication you’d recommend to other engineers and why?
I regularly read technical content across LinkedIn channels and academic platforms, along with engineering journals, blogs and podcasts. I also use several AI tools in a research assistant capacity to explore a wide range of topics. While AI is excellent for gathering high-level insights, it’s essential to validate deeper technical details independently and arrive at your own well-researched conclusions.
What publication has most influenced your career?
After completing The Windows NT 4.0 MCSE Study Guide by Alan R Carter and earning industry certification, my IT engineering career went into full turbo mode. A few years later, I launched my own IT consulting business, taking on a diverse range of projects across New Zealand’s tech landscape.
What book is on your “must read” list?
Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl is high on my reading list, as I seek a better understanding of what my grandparents endured during the occupation of Holland. The following Māori proverb sums it all up. Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua, I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed firmly on the past.
What do you read for fun?
I am a proud science fiction and fantasy nerd so authors F Herbert, B Herbert, J Anderson, R Hobb, R Feist, D Eddings, H Sidebottom. There is nothing like reading a spectacular trilogy during downtime to recharge and recalibrate.
Speed read
Ebook/paper copy
Borrow/own
Bookmark/turn down page
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of EG magazine.
