Future Materials is a not-for-profit national organisation supported by a consortium of leading Universities. Future Materials aims to help Australian companies gain a competitive advantage by enhancing industry access to materials technologies within universities and other research institutions. Click on the Future Materials logo (above right) to go to the Future Materials website http://www.future.org.au

The Future Materials Awards 2006 are designed to celebrate Australian innovation in the wider sphere of Materials Science. There were three main categories associated with the awards:

• Excellence in Materials Innovation in Infrastructure and Building
• Excellence in Materials Innovation in Manufactured Goods
• Excellence in Materials Innovation in Biotechnology and Life Sciences

and the following companies are our finalists and winners for 2006

Building and Infrastructure Category

• Winner - Coredev Pty Ltd for their Fibre Composite Pedestrian Bridge
• Finalist - Xerocoat Pty Ltd with their Anti-Reflective/Anti-Fog coating
• Finalist - The Laminex Group for the development of their EMI Shielding Laminate

Biotechnology and Life Sciences Category:

• Winner - Nanocoatings Pty Ltd for their new bone graft material
• Finalist - BSES Limited for their work developing Bioplastics from Sugarcane
• Finalist - PolyNovo Biomaterials for their Biodegradable Polymer for Medical Implants

Manufactured Goods Category:

• Winner - Hydrexia Pty Ltd with their Hydrogen Storage System
• Finalist - Very Small Particle Company for the industrial scale production of complex metal nanomaterials
• Finalist - Cap-XX with their High Power Supercapacitor

Peoples Choice Awards:

• Winner - PolyNovo Biomaterials with their new polymer for medical implants
• Finalist - LSM Advanced Composites for their work with the Ultra Commuter Electric Car
• Finalist - CSIRO Light Metals Flagship for advances in the treatment of HP diecasts.