Simon Feasey
Position: Engineer, Director, Owner, Founder – NanoLayr, (Previously Revolution Fibres) Field: Nanotechnology, nanomaterials
Simon Feasey
Engineer, Director, Owner, Founder of Revolution Fibres.
I was very inquisitive about how things worked. I was encouraged by my parents and my grandfather to take things apart, and I used to regularly just pull things to pieces to see what made them tick and how they worked and then put them back together again. My creative upbringing helped me a lot with innovation.
Key skills for innovation
Simon thinks the following skills are important for working in innovation:
problem-solving
ability to think outside the square
drawing on experience
learning off others.
Meet an innovator: Simon Feasey
Simon Feasey, founder of Revolution Fibres, discusses his passion for innovation, problem-solving and product development. He describes himself as an entrepreneur and innovator.
Activity idea
Further explore the terms ‘entrepreneur’, ‘innovator’ and ‘inventor’. Simon refers to himself as being “an entrepreneur, an innovator and, to a lesser degree, an inventor”. Ask your students to discuss what each of these terms mean – how do these terms differ and how are they similar? The Key Terms article has explanations for these terms that could be used as starting point. Your students might enjoy finding examples of other people that can be described as either ‘entrepreneur’, ‘innovator’ or ‘inventor’.
UPDATE: In May 2021, Revolution Fibres rebranded to NanoLayr.
Background knowledge and experience
Innovation draws on a range of people with diverse knowledge and expertise. Each person involved contributes a unique knowledge and skill set, which is determined by their particular educational background, the range of experiences they are involved in through their work as well as their life outside of work.
Discussing innovation: Simon Feasey
Simon Feasey, founder of Revolution Fibres, discusses what innovation and invention mean within the context of product development.
Jargon alert
3D printer a machine that makes a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model.
A challenge for students
Look at how different people in different Innovation stories define innovation. Compare these with various definitions available online and identify common elements. Discuss and compile an agreed definition in groups or as a class.
UPDATE: In May 2021, Revolution Fibres rebranded to NanoLayr.
The background knowledge and experience that has contributed to Simon’s unique knowledge and skill set for his current role at Revolution Fibres includes:
engineering qualifications
twenty years’ experience running his air filtration business, Safe New Zealand.
UPDATE: In May 2021, Revolution Fibres rebranded to NanoLayr.
This article is based on information current in 2013.
