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