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Nanocomp Technologies’ fibers, yarns and felts made from electrothermal nanotubes are “disruptive technology.”
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The winner was Nanocomp. Its fabrics, which company materials call “lightweight structural composites,” have applications ranging from use in batteries and antenna systems to golf clubs and implantable human nerve replacements. Airplanes and body armor are some of the immediate uses.
This is a truly disruptive technology. As cell phones and fiber-optic cables challenged the copper business, Nanocomp’s high-tech fibers and felts disrupt the steel and aluminum business. According to Nanocomp, carbon nanotubes are 100 times stronger than steel, 30% percent lighter than aluminum, conduct electricity as efficiently as copper, and heat better than metal.
Whew! I was reminded that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has a plastic shell, not aluminum, and is mostly fly-by-wire and managed by computer.
What did I learn in judging these new products? I knew that New Hampshire was the real Massachusetts miracle, and now it’s a high-tech hotbed, too. What I didn’t appreciate was that the tech markets have changed over the last several decades. They’re into security, government and leisure markets and not simply industrial products. Offerings from all the candidates emphasized everyday human use, not just for players in the technology sandbox. All seemed to say that the interface between the company and the user is the key to success.
What should you learn? Simple understanding of technology and physics can supply the core for a successful new product. Even Jetboil’s riff on the camp stove, featuring an expanded surface area, uses basic physics to boil water in half the time. Although this was a technology-based award, each company understood its marketplace. Remember that marketing and technology are twins and must have equal emphasis for success.
I also sat for part of the dinner at the governor’s table with lots of state and federal statesmen eating good food, and supplying stimulating conversation. These folks are intelligent leaders and try their best. We may disagree with them, but they ain’t dumb. I look forward to being kidnapped next year.