Funding hopes from award victory
A national titanium technology grouping, based at the University of Waikato, has won a major award at the second annual
KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards.
Titanium Technologies New Zealand (TiTeNZ) - a collaboration between the University of Waikato, Tauranga's Titanium
Industry Development Association (TiDA), Callaghan Innovation, GNS Science, the University of Auckland, and a number of
industry partners – won the AJ Park Commercialisation Collaboration Award at a ceremony in Auckland in June.
TiTeNZ is a world leader in the development of titanium powder metallurgy and the Awards are the pinnacle of KiwiNet
activities, designed to build awareness and inspire research commercialisation success.
Professor Brian Gabbitas from the Faculty of Science and Engineering hopes the award will lead to further funding for
research into titanium and the development of more commercially-viable products. At the University of Waikato, titanium
research is largely centred on the production of products from titanium or titanium powder through either extrusion or
forging.
“We are working closely with South Auckland Forging Engineering and are manufacturing diving knives and components for
deep sea diving apparatus,” he says.
The benefits of titanium are its strength and light weight and Professor Gabbitas says forging or extruding products
cuts waste significantly compared to milling products from a solid piece of The use of titanium powder also cuts
production costs significantly, he says.
Each partner involved in TiTeNZ is involved in different aspects of research, with further support from AUT also proving
beneficial Professor Gabbitas says.
ends