New materials at tipping point

Conventional manufacturing models are becoming obsolete as the potential of new materials and high-tech products are realized, Chinese and New Zealand entrepreneurs told an international gathering in Auckland last month.

Iain Hosie, technical director of Auckland-based nanofiber developer and manufacturer Revolution Fibres, said the biggest hurdle facing the field of new materials was educating industry as to its possible applications.

Much of the company's business involved customization of nanofibers using one-off non-recurring engineering for niche markets that large manufacturers lacked the flexibility to adapt to.