Nissan is the unlikely creator of world’s first “self-healing” iPhone case, which can quickly repair itself when scratched.

The car giant’s Scratch Shield paint – initially developed exclusively for vehicles – is made from polyrotaxane.

This means that when damage occurs to the coating, the chemical structure reacts by changing back to its original shape and filling the gap.

It is set for production later this year, although there is no word yet on pricing.

Nissan’s Bob Laishley says the Scratch Shield iPhone case is a great example of Nissan taking an automotive technology and shifting the boundaries to apply it to another everyday product.

“We’re really excited about the possibilities provided by this technology… We think this technology has real scope beyond the automotive world,” he says.

Nissan isn’t the first company to be inspired by the iPhone, suggesting other start-ups can also leverage the popularity of the Apple gadget.

Melbourne start-up Annex Products is the maker of the Opena Case – an iPhone case that doubles as a bottle opener – and an iPhone mount named Quad Lock.

Annex Products recently signed a worldwide distribution partnership with Forward Industries, a multinational mobile tech firm, for its iPhone-related products.