01 October 2007

Cutting-edge technologies that have propelled New Zealand to the forefront of multiple America’s Cup challenges are being applied to a range of other high-technology sectors, opening exciting opportunities for exporters and investors.

Kiwi ingenuity drove Emirates Team New Zealand’s performance at the recent America’s Cup regatta in Valencia, with innovations from a cross-section of the specialised manufacturing, design and technology companies working in the marine sector. This ranged from the hull on Team New Zealand’s boat to light and strong carbon-fibre spars and rigging and encrypted radio systems to ensure crystal-clear and secure communications.

Underpinning New Zealand’s leadership in the global marine industry are in-depth capabilities in advanced composites – materials that incorporate high-performance reinforcement such as carbon-fibre and Kevlar and are applied using sophisticated processes such as resin infusion and autoclave techniques. About 450 companies in New Zealand work with composite materials.

The knowledge built up in this area over the past two decades is now being successfully married with expertise in other areas, such as aerospace and industrial engineering and wind energy technologies.

Guy Tapley, Investment New Zealand’s Manager – Aerospace, says New Zealand is well placed to meet the huge international demand for composite materials for use as aircraft components.

“Air New Zealand Engineering Services [http://www.airnz.co.nz], for example, has an international reputation for composite design and repair and for its high-performance cabin interior components. There are other emerging companies specialising in innovative component design and manufacturing techniques for light aircraft, demonstrating New Zealand’s strengths in this area and its ability to provide the new technologies wanted globally.”

These innovations are supported by an ongoing commitment to research and development, with the New Zealand Government recently announcing investment through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology of nearly NZ$3 million (together with more than NZ$1 million in industry funding) in a project to deliver innovations in composite materials and structures for the aircraft, marine and defence industries. This builds on an earlier investment of more than NZ$10 million by the Foundation to carry out fundamental research.

The research will be based at the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials at the University of Auckland (http://www.mech.auckland.ac.nz/Composites/CACM.html). The Centre is headed by Professor Debes Bhattacharyya, who is internationally renowned for his work in the theoretical understanding and practical development of advanced composite materials. Many of the technologies employed in New Zealand’s successful composites industry have been developed at the Centre, which has also attracted research projects from Australia, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In another novel application of the technologies, New Zealand’s Kahu Technologies (http://www.kahutech.com) has developed a lightweight hydraulic ram from carbon-fibre and is partnering with German firm Lingk & Sturzebecher to manufacture carbon-fibre rams for a number of potential applications, including aircraft landing gear. The ram is capable of working at the same pressures as, or higher pressures than, conventional metal hydraulic rams yet is only one-third the weight of existing rams.

New Zealand is also becoming a global innovator in technologies for wind power using knowledge from companies involved in the marine industry, says Koustubh Gadgil, Investment New Zealand Manager – Specialised Manufacturing.

Christchurch-based wind turbine manufacturer Windflow Technology (http://www.windflow.co.nz), for example, has developed the Windflow 500 turbine, which incorporates patented Torque Limiting Gearbox technology manufactured by America’s Cup gear expert AH Gears in Auckland. The turbine uses a novel two-blade design rather than the conventional three blades, with the blades manufactured by leading Auckland boat-building experts using wood-epoxy. These and other innovative technologies make the turbine lighter and more robust than similar products, giving it an edge internationally.

“New Zealand’s very high wind velocities make this a very challenging environment for wind power technologies, and innovators have pushed the boundaries to develop robust and cost-effective turbines and blades,” says Mr Gadgil.

“International companies are increasingly eyeing New Zealand as an ideal place to carry out research and development and to transfer technologies to support rapid growth in the number of wind farms here.”

Other sectors where New Zealand’s America’s Cup campaigns have sparked innovation and ingenuity include the development of navigation equipment for boats and 3D technology for television viewing of action on the water.

In 1992, New Zealand’s Animation Research Limited (ARL http://www.arl.co.nz) developed groundbreaking software so viewers could visualise the boats’ progress around the course in real time. This has been constantly enhanced to include detailed information on such things as boat speeds, estimated time to markers and wind direction and speed.

ARL’s animation technology is now routinely used in television commercials and documentaries, while new applications include educational software products, an air traffic control simulator and 3D animations of developments such as wind farms and apartment complexes.

Guy Tapley says the spin-offs from technologies first used in the America’s Cup events demonstrate the entrepreneurial nature of New Zealand’s manufacturing sector.

“New Zealand’s size and agility are an advantage in terms of the level of networking and technology sharing that takes place. There is a willingness to work together and exchange information, which is supported by New Zealanders’ famous can-do approach to problem solving.”

For more information, please contact:

koustubh.gadgil@investmentnz.govt.nz

+64 4 910 4385

guy.tapley@investmentnz.govt.nz

+64 4 910 4655