Jul 12 2013
The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network, one of the UK’s primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, is pleased to announce details of an exhibition it has organised at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) headquarters in London.
The exhibition will provide examples of excellence in British engineering, design and manufacturing under an overarching theme of nanotechnology's contribution to UK economic growth.
Nanotechnology has been defined as one of the key emerging technologies which will provide wealth opportunities for the future of the UK. The UK has a strong legacy in the research and development of nanotechnologies and this is now being harnessed to provide innovative solutions to society’s greatest challenges.
UK nanotechnology companies showcasing their technology at the exhibition are IQE Ltd, Peratech Ltd, deltaDOT Ltd, Plastic Logic and Intrinsiq Materials Ltd.
Matthew Hancock, Minister for Skills, attended the event on Wednesday 10 July to meet representatives of the UK companies exhibiting at the Nanotechnology and Manufacturing showcase.
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said:
“Innovation is central to growth and harnessing the potential of new technologies will help us succeed in the global race. This showcase is a clear demonstration of the ingenuity and range of companies in Britain leading the field in micro and nanotechnologies.”
Dr Alec Reader, Director at the NanoKTN added, “Nanotechnology is currently being used to deliver innovation and new products in some of the most exciting and significant growth markets in the UK from medicine and pharmaceutical to high value engineering and energy. At the NanoKTN, we are working within these emerging technology sectors to remove barriers to growth and to commercialise these products, to stimulate further growth for the UK. By working closely with partners in industry, academia and government, together we are delivering competitive advantage for UK companies and creating wealth and employment.”
UK nanotechnology manufacturers exhibiting at the event:
Peratech Ltd, based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, was established in 1996 to exploit QTC™ Materials and has filed a number of worldwide patents and this portfolio continues to be strengthened. The company has a turnover of £2M with 23 staff. With operations in the UK, Singapore and South Korea, Peratech has won several prestigious industry awards including the Saatchi and Saatchi Communication Award and the Tomorrow’s World Industry Award. Peratech works closely with Durham University, where a permanent research group continues to develop and advance the science of QTC Materials.
At the exhibition, Peratech will be showing a mannequin display of one of the first commercial applications of QTC, a set of washable QTC textile switches on the sleeve of a ski jacket which remotely control an iPhone in the jacket pocket. The jacket will be shown working, and the unique electrical properties of QTC will be demonstrated, including the latest printable ink form of QTC which is the basis for new types of electronic touch screens and touch controls with unique levels of functionality.
IQE Ltd, based in Cardiff, has over 11 manufacturing sites worldwide, 200 UK employees (650 globally) and a turnover of £88M (2012). The company is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers with products that cover a diverse range of applications. IQE's products are found in many leading-edge consumer, communication, computing and industrial applications, including a complete range of wafer products for the wireless industry.
At the exhibition, IQE will be showing its product samples (wafer products) and end applications (model cutaway handset, LED lighting display).
deltaDOT Ltd, a spin out company from Imperial College London, UK is based at the London BioScience Innovation Centre and employs 10 staff with a turnover of £389k. The company designs and produces High Performance Capillary Electrophoresis (HPCE) instruments which are marketed worldwide and offer analytical services and contract research.
At the exhibition, the company will be showing its deltaDOT instrument, currently the most advanced scientific instrument in the field of Capillary Electrophoresis. The instrument can quantify a wide range of biomolecules such as proteins, amino acids, peptides and antibodies. Presentation screens will explain how deltaDOT’s technology works and what the user will typically see when using the instrument.
Plastic Logic, based in Cambridge, UK, employs over 200 staff worldwide. The company manufactures high-quality flexible plastic displays (colour and monochrome) of various sizes. These unbreakable, daylight-readable displays are conformal, thin and lightweight with low power consumption, offering major advantages over conventional screens. Plastic Logic has recently won “FLEXI 2013 R&D Award” and “Elektronik Optoelectronic Product of the Year 2013”.
At the exhibition, Plastic Logic will be showcasing its bendable plastic displays which enable revolutionary new design possibilities, and are set to transform markets as diverse as signage and automotive, to smart-wristwatches and other wearable devices.
Intrinsiq Materials Ltd, based in Farnborough, Hampshire, is the nanotechnology leader in printable electronic inks, employing 21 staff with a turnover of £2M. Most recently the company won a UK Business Innovation award for Emerging and Nano Technology in December 2010 (for nano copper inks).
At the exhibition, Intrinsiq Materials will be demonstrating a number of solutions including a new antibody based disease detection system, which when fully productionised, will offer faster readings (10 minutes vs 3 days) and will half the cost of this specific test.
For further information about the NanoKTN, please visit www.nanoktn.com or email [email protected].
Established by the Technology Strategy Board, the NanoKTN is managed by Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, a leading technology development and consulting company.