Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a new composite plastic that it as strong as steel but which is significantly lighter. As an added benefit, it is also transparent. I won’t bore you with the details of how this new nano-plastic is created (although if you’re interested I’d encourage you to read this piece), but, as I stress in my book, Jump the Curve, executives and managers in a variety of different industries need to familiarize themselves with such advances in the field of material science because they offer ample opportunities to improve existing products as well as develop entirely new ones.
For instance, in the medical profession, a great many hip, knee and joint replacements today use expensive titanium as the material of choice. This new nano-plastic could offer patients lighter alternative which might also be more biocompatible and, thus, less susceptible to infections and scaring. Similarly, executives in the automobile industry could utilize the material to construct cars which are lighter, safer and more fuel efficient; while architects might be able to ”jump the curve” and design new buildings with amazing new properties by tapping into the transparency and strength characteristics of this new nano-plastic.
Jack Uldrich is a writer, futurist, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business. He is also a frequenter speaker on future trends, innovation, change management and executive leadership to a variety of businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and associations.
