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Innovation happens every day, but landmark innovations are game changers — changing the game for more green — environmentally and economically. As a special machine designer, it's fun for me to imagine new super cool gizmos — it's my passion to imagine the "gizmos" that will save our Earth.
While most will line up for the a new Gold iPhone 7 , there's typically a very short line for the gizmos Graham wants — designer molecules. I have a short list of really cool gizmo designs in my head — the one I really, really want is one that can make green molecules.
The ability to manufacture the basic building blocks of modern materials will deliver large opportunities for green materials. I have wished and imagined about this gizmo for a long time. It's hard to describe all the changes this innovation will deliver for modern products, but it will be a foundation upon which we innovate our industry to the next revolution — the green revolution.
I was inspired to write this blog when I read this article, "Scientists developed artificial molecules" — the green molecule gizmo isn't on Amazon, yet. The race for green materials will drive rapid innovation in what I describe as The Concurrent Greening — innovating all materials, design, manufacturing, procurement and lifecycle processes to support the next generation manufacturing — green manufacturing.
The ability to make supermolecules will be changing many things, for the better. By modifying our manufacturing habits, products can potentially use thousands of times less rare earth materials, gold, silver, everything. This will also reduce the need for exotic materials and the damaged by mining, etc. By using less materials more efficiently we pollute less water, use less energy and can minimize & recycle toxic materials.
As I have repeated, resource-based economies will become less valuable — fossil fuels, mining, water transportation, exotic materials, etc. The next big economic driver will be in engineering supermaterials, if you know anything about economics and materials, these innovations will result in a wide selection of green materials. Supermolecules leveraged in nanomaterials = game changed?
As a designer, having a wide selection of materials to choose from will accelerate the green innovation in consumer products. Some day there will be no plastic to choose from — the day I dream about.