Stewart Collie at the 2014 Innovation Forum
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Transcript of Stewart Collie at the 2014 Innovation Forum
Innovation through Woolly Thinking
Stewart CollieScience Team Leader, TextilesAgResearch
Innovation Forum 2014
My Background
How did I end up as a Textile Technologist working for AgResearch?(and what is a Textile Technologist?!)
Research Interests
Knitwear and knitted fabric development
Thermophysiological comfort –textile-human interactions
Smart textiles and wearable electronics
Electrically conductive polymers
Wool as a Material
Textile Structures & Processes
AgResearch
One of NZ’s seven ‘Crown Research Institutes’ (CRIs)
Each with a distinct role and group of stakeholders
AgResearch’s role is research related to pastoral agriculture – sheep, cattle, deer, goats and the materials/foods they produce.
So, this includes wool and wool textiles
Innovation in a CRI – how does it happen?
Primarily as contract research projects
Instigated by clients or ourselves – guided by industry priorities
Funding sources• Core funding• MBIE Contestable• Industry bodies• Companies and organisations
In many cases we can be the ‘R&D department’ of our clients
Encouraging Innovation in AgResearch
An example: AgR’s Curiosity Fund• Internal funding to encourage all staff to try out something they
are curious about• Simple application process; proposals assessed by peers and
AgR’s top scientists• 20 projects every year – product development, experimental
methods, new procedures, systems, etc.• Some will turn into bigger projects and ultimately have an impact
for our stakeholders
Back to Wool… What’s it Worth to NZ?
• New Zealand fourth largest producer of wool, 11.2% of world production.
• Wool fibre export earnings year ended 30 June 2013 = $677.6 million
• Wool carpet and rug export receipts were $110.7 million.
• Intermediate products contribute a further $64.1 million.
• All wool products represented 1.9% ($852.4 million) of the total value of New Zealand merchandise exports.
• Woolgrease exports and refined woolgrease products.
Where to next? (future R&D and commercialisation)
Snapshot – Wool Innovation for Industry Good
New Insect Resist Technologies• Current wool insecticides becoming less
effective.• Need to reduce insecticide in effluent
from dye-bath.• The need to improve eco credentials of
insect resist treatments.
Fipronil Chlorfenapyr Bifenthrin Permethrin
LC50 Daphnia magna µg/l 190 6.11 1.6 0.6
Active in formulation g/l 6 40 5 100
Suggested application rate % omw 0.62 0.27 0.21 0.33
Relative impact on Daphnia
((conc×%omw) /LC50) ×50
1 89 33 2750
• Identify new insecticides from other sectors• Evaluate as a wool insect-resist treatment• Develop a new formulation and treatment process
Developing a New Insect Resist Treatment
Snapshot – Wool Innovation as Product Development: Gimono™Where did it start?- They approached us with the idea of making a better gi with wool –
having seen the growth in wool activewear.- They had already evaluated existing fabrics – none were suitable.
Gimono Traditional cotton gi
Snapshot – Gimono™
What did AgResearch do?- A fabric development project to
make a lightweight, high strength, low-stretch, wool-rich fabric
- Focused on establishing a fabric composition and structure that was tough but comfortable next to skin.
- Identified knitted fabric manufacturers capable of reliably making the precise structure required
- Helped put together the supply chain
What Wool the Future Hold?
The ideal new use for wool is high value and relatively large volume
Exciting possibilities:
- Medical textiles- Exploit biocompatibility; investigate the science of textile-
human interactions- Health & wellbeing – skin health, thermophysiological comfort- Wound dressings & implantables
- Technical applications- Exploit unique attributes of wool e.g. moisture interactions,
flame retardant- High performance sportswear- Protective textiles including filters
The role of ‘traditional’ science in innovation
Some personal musings…
Science is a part of innovation, and both require persistence, rigour, creativity, discovery…
Some scientists love learning about design, commercialisation, entrepreneurship; others hate the idea
Scientists can learn a lot from working in a technology start-up!
Multidisciplinary teams (within and beyond science) are the future
Successful technological innovation requires both robust science and good design