About the Project

Future of Fibre Aotearoa is an industry-led initiative committed to unlocking value across New Zealand’s fibre ecosystem, from raw material production to finished product and back again. It aims to reposition fibre as a flagship of NZ’s high-value economy by delivering sector research, foundational insights and pilot projects focused on innovation, design, circularity, and locally embedded systems. Led by Fashion & Textiles NZ, it is supported through an AGMARDT collaborative partnership grant.

What is Fibre

Future of Fibre Aotearoa defines Fibre as:

“any raw, minimally processed material, whether grown, cultivated, bio-engineered, regenerated or recycled that can be transformed through spinning, weaving, knitting, felting, moulding, additive/digital manufacturing techniques or other forming processes into textile, composites and products.”

Future of Fibre Aotearoa categorises New Zealand fibre according to levels of maturity and scale.

New Zealand fibre is transformed into a wide range of applications including textiles, composites and biomaterials for:

Apparel and Footwear
Interiors
Built Environment
Technical & Advanced Materials

Background

Fibre is a strategic yet underdeveloped part of New Zealand’s bioeconomy. Food and fibre have long been approached together in New Zealand’s primary industries, but they create vastly different end products and value pathways. While food is fast moving and perishable, fibre products are enduring, creating potential to drive innovation and open markets in textiles, composites and other materials while embedding Aotearoa's unique identity.

The Goal

Future of Fibre Aotearoa will connect the ecosystem, identify gaps and opportunities, and pilot new models for innovation, capability building, and market access. We envisage fibre as a strategic national asset, capable of delivering economic, environmental, cultural, and social value.

Year 1: Foundations

● Ecosystem Mapping - to understand and define fibre positioning, challenges, opportunities.

● Threads of Tomorrow Summit - industry engagement, roadmap & pilot planning.

● Foundational Fibre Report - comprehensive analysis of current state and potential.

Year 2: Activation (to be confirmed)

● Fibre Action Plan co-created with industry

● Digital Fibre Platform

● Pilot Projects