In November, WinFlex, a wind-power company based in Kiryat Yam, Israel, received one of the most coveted prizes in the GE Ecomagination Challenge for developing a wind-turbine system that uses a light, flexible cloth sheets made out of composite materials as the rotor system for a wind turbine.

FORBES: Inflatable Wind Turbines Pass Laugh Test

Under a defence contract, Dr Claus's laboratory is testing a photovoltaic cell constructed from films of polymer and ceramic which feels as flexible and hardy as cloth.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR