Linear to Circular Bioeconomy: BioAdditive Manufacturing

Dr Marie-Joo Le Guen, Research Group Leader, Scion
Admission: Gold Coin Donation

Additive manufacturing (AM), including 3D and 4D printing, encompasses some of the most promising technologies currently available. News stories regularly appear featuring exciting creations or innovations, from houses to human hearts, all made possible with AM technologies. Scion anticipates that AM will continue to be one of the biggest and most influential technologies worldwide. As New Zealand transitions to a circular bioeconomy, AM will be a core manufacturing technology going forward.

New Zealand has particularly promising arguments for using AM in our journey to a circular bioeconomy. Our small nation is rich in renewable natural materials that can create the new polymers, composites and other performance filaments that are needed to replace the fossil-based products currently in use.

Scion has 20 years of research and development experience in biomaterials and 10 years in AM; this is forming the basis of a new, innovative manufacturing sector for New Zealand. Looking to the future, our vision for AM includes cross-disciplinary opportunities with other advanced related technologies such as robotics, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
Coupling this highly adaptive technology with the innovative kiwi-mindset, a small but young manufacturing sector, and easy production near supplies of biomass, is a recipe for success. This technology will also bring new opportunities to decrease reliance on some imported materials, while increasing exportable products. These factors and more are the reasons to make AM the next big manufacturing direction in New Zealand.

Scion is a Crown Research Institute that specialises in research, science and technology development for the forestry, wood product, wood-derived materials, and other biomaterial sectors. Dr Marie-Joo Le Guen is a Research Group Leader at Scion. Her background is in materials science and additive manufacturing.

Venue: Lecture Theatre 1