Sep 4 2009
Nanogate (ISIN DE000A0JKHC9), a leading international nanotechnology enabler, is expanding its portfolio by adding numerous new technologies and applications with considerable sales potential. Thanks to an extensive strategic cooperation with the specialist nanotech firm sarastro, Nanogate AG will be able to enhance materials, surfaces and products with new biological properties in future to create antimicrobial, extremely hygienic or hypo-allergenic surfaces. The two Saarland-based companies plan to launch their first joint Buildings/Interiors, Sport/Leisure or Automotive/Mechanical Engineering products on the market by the end of 2010.
Protection from bacteria, germs, fungi and viruses is becoming increasingly important in all aspects of everyday life and in industry – for example due to the growing spread of aggressive flu pathogens which we are currently experiencing. At the same time, there is an increasing need to make a wide range of products hypo-allergenic. Nanogate is therefore using additional technologies to profit from the growing demand for multifunctional surfaces and solutions which answer this need.
sarastro has specialised in this field for years and offers innovative technologies based on chemical nanotechnology, as used by Nanogate. sarastro technology is already used for hearing aids produced by Siemens, filtration systems for drinking water purification and PVC air and water pipes. The company also successfully treats disinfectants and other liquids with a patented technology which ensures that their disinfectant and antimicrobial properties last longer. Wincor-Nixdorf uses these solutions to clean its cash machines, for example.
The first products developed jointly by the two companies – which are both based in the Saarland region (south-west) of Germany – are due to hit the market by the end of 2010 at the latest. The partnership focuses on products in the fields of Automotive/Mechanical Engineering, Buildings/Interiors and Sport/Leisure. Applications involving functional textiles – e.g. for air-conditioning systems or filters – are also planned.
Ralf Zastrau, CEO of Nanogate AG, said: “The demand for applications with additional biological functions – ensuring greater hygiene and cleanliness, for example – is huge, and it is growing all the time. The technologies and applications developed by sarastro and Nanogate, not to mention their sales potential, complement each other perfectly. Our company will profit greatly from the opportunities offered by this strategic cooperation. We expect to develop numerous exciting products with significant sales and earnings potential in the medium to long term.”