29 May 2007

Huge international demand for advanced composite materials in the aerospace industry offers opportunities for New Zealand, and for investors, says Guy Tapley, Investment New Zealand’s Manager – Aerospace.

“While aerospace applications here are still relatively small scale, the picture is likely to look very different in the future,” he says. Investment New Zealand has commissioned an independent expert assessment of the local industry’s advanced composite capabilities from an aerospace perspective, and Tapley says there is no doubt that the core competencies are there.

About 450 companies in New Zealand currently work with composite materials. The industry started here in the 1950s. Today, most composite materials are used in the industrial, building and marine sectors, with the bulk of advanced composites going into marine production.

“By advanced composites we mean materials incorporating high-performance reinforcement, such as carbon-fibre and Kevlar. These are applied using advanced processes such as resin infusion and autoclave techniques,” says Tapley.

Developments have been very exciting. New Zealand naval architects, engineers and boat builders took design and materials knowledge from aerospace and adapted it to high-performance yachting. As a result, New Zealand produced the world’s first fibreglass America’s Cup yacht in 1985 and the first large composite yacht mast in 1988. These advances laid the foundations for an internationally recognised superyacht industry. A New Zealand carbon-fibre superbike then took the world’s racing circuits by storm in 1994.

Now there is an opportunity to go back to aerospace but with a fresh perspective, Tapley says. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise shares with the Aviation Industry Association a strategic vision for New Zealand aerospace to become a specialised, globally connected, high-margin, sustainable service and manufacturing industry based on the latest technologies. By 2020, the plan is for the industry to earn $3 billion a year – an increase of 300% on today’s revenue.

Industry experts believe that advanced composites will play an important role in making that vision a reality, says Tapley. He highlights New Zealand’s strong research and development commitment and its connections with design and manufacturing.

For example, the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials research facility at the University of Auckland works closely with other research institutions and both the marine and aerospace industries. The Centre actively seeks collaboration and its staff has an international reputation.

New Zealand aerospace companies – such as Air New Zealand Engineering Services (ANZES) design engineering unit and superyacht production and fit out companies – have also demonstrated very strong design, research and development capabilities for advanced composite structures that demonstrate the type of expertise required for expanding aerospace applications, Tapley says.

He points to ANZES design engineering’s reputation for composite design and repair and its high-performance cabin interior components. This and start-up company Falcomposite’s application of innovative component design and manufacturing techniques to light aircraft clearly show New Zealand’s strength in advanced composites.

These developments demonstrate core competence and entrepreneurship and are signs of bigger things to come, says Tapley. But there is still work to do to leverage advantages and build aerospace-specific applications.

“New Zealand has an excellent track record in advanced composite design and custom manufacturing. To meet aerospace demand, we need to be smart about how we choose our market niches and work hard at enhancing production systems and investment.”

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is helping to attract overseas investment for the industry. Tapley says New Zealand is attractive to investors because of its innovative design, advanced composite expertise and agile, responsive company culture.

“We are particularly interested in talking to international companies in aerospace component markets looking to develop new sources of capacity.”

For more information, please contact:

guy.tapley@investmentnz.govt.nz

+64 4 910 4655