Lubrizol

Lubrizol asked me to review their extensive materials portfolio and find applications for flexible electronics and wearables.

In what became a multi-tiered engagement, I ran a series of exploratory activities, met with every department head, held innovation workshops, and mapped Lubrizol’s offerings. I then proposed a set of applications built exclusively from materials Lubrizol had developed — and settled on the award-winning Multi-Tech Commuter Heated Jacket.

From pattern design to sourcing fabrics across two continents, and bringing partners together for the printed electronics and a custom connector, I materialised the project in nine months, and under budget.

Wearable electronics demand systems thinking — design, materials, and the value chain at once.

The project underscores why novel wearable electronics require systems thinking: design, materials science, applications know-how, and value-chain partners, held together at once. It takes the right mindset and capabilities to turn an idea into a prototype and then a commercial reality quickly. The jacket is now the centrepiece of Lubrizol’s trade-show presence and is on permanent display outside the CEO’s office.