Abstract:
The Materials Accelerator (MA) is a national capability network which seeks to develop transformational multi-material products in cooperative R&D partnership with innovative high-technology companies. MA has teams of researchers drawn from eight NZ research institutions with multi-materials expertise in composites, plastics, conducting polymers, nanotechnology, metals and also expertise in prototyping, virtual manufacturing, materials analysis and characterization, modeling, interfacial analysis etc. MA Network includes contributions from universities and government laboratories with ~100 researchers associated with the network. Some research projects administered by MA that are beneficial to the MA commercial platforms and to NZ generally will be presented. These proposals are interfacial in its materials focus and bridges more than one type of materials and include mechanisms for preserving the knowledge within the MA business model, its strategy, and its aspirations for new product and market development, as well as outlining the technical and research issues raised by potential R&D projects.