Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group plc - Collaborative research and development in plastic electronics
04 Jun 2008
Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group Plc (OASG) has entered into a Collaborative Research and Development project with the University of Manchester's Organic Materials Innovation Centre (OMIC) and the Centre for Process Innovation Ltd (CPI), a project which is to be supported by over £600,000 of funding from the Technology Strategy Board over the next 24 months.
The project aims to develop a much needed solution to a specific
problem arising in the
manufacture of plastic electronics. Plastic electronics is the
general term used to describe electronics based on organic
semiconductors as opposed to silicon-based semiconductors
which are expensive to produce and process. In contrast, plastics
can be printed using
traditional inkjet printers or techniques similar to those used to
produce magazines and wallpaper. This means they are cheaper,
easier and quicker to produce. As the plastics can be printed onto
flexible substrates they can also be used in totally new types of
devices such as electronic paper.
The collaboration will involve combining OASG's Onto®
technology with leading edge
research from Manchester and CPI's process development and
prototyping expertise. The outputs from the project will be
applicable across the whole field of plastic electronics ranging
from radio frequency identification (RFID), to printed photovoltaic
devices.
The worldwide market for plastic electronics products has been estimated to be worth up to £15 billion by 2015 and the opportunity for new markets could be worth up to £125 billion by 2025. This project is therefore a valuable and complementary addition to the company's expanding development and commercialisation portfolio.
Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive of Oxford Advances
Surfaces Group, commented: "We are very excited to be
working with leading institutions such as Manchester
University
and the Centre for Process Innovation, developing new materials
that will provide us with excellent opportunities to utilise
Onto® and to create value through the delivery of new
and innovative products to market."
Dr Tom Taylor, Director of Functional Materials, CPI and the Project Co-ordinator, said: "The partners have complementary skills sets which when combined can solve a real problem in the field of Plastic Electronics. Without support from the Technology Strategy Board, the partners would be unable to bring together the skills and resources needed to deliver this much needed technology enabler."
Professor Stephen Yeates, Professor of Polymer Chemistry at Manchester University, said: "OMIC is a leading centre in organic electronics, with considerable expertise in the structure/ property design of a range of organic semiconductor materials and is therefore looking forward to collaborating with our partners to provide state of the art, printable functional formulations to the project."
Contacts:
Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group Plc Tel: +44 (0) 1865 854 807
www.oxfordadvancedsurfaces.com
Marcelo Bravo - CEO
Zimmerman Adams International Limited Tel:
+44 (0) 20 7060 1760
Jonathan Evans /David Galan
Notes to Editors
Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group plc
Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group plc develops and commercialises advanced materials and technology solutions leveraging breakthrough surface modification technology.
Onto® is a proprietary coating technology that exploits a
reactive type of molecule so that it can be conveniently and safely
applied to a wide range of materials allowing the rapid and
convenient modification of the surface properties. This delivers
permanent, dramatic and
highly valuable changes to surface functionality. The Onto®
coating technology is a
versatile, effective, yet simple approach to deliver intelligent
advanced materials.
Initial applications include tailored wetting properties,
adhesion, metallization and bio-activity in markets including
electronics, advanced composites and laminates, biomaterials and
alternative energy technologies. The company develops and aims to
commercialise advanced materials and technology solutions across a
range of markets including:
* Electronics (PCB's,
plastic electronics, electromechanical devices and flat
screen
displays);
* Industrial specialties
(specialty fibres, textiles, laminates and composites);
* Life sciences / health
care markets (including sterile surfaces, separation media
and microarrays, biomedical materials), and;
* Alternative energy
technologies (photovoltaics, solid state lighting, fuel cells
Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive
non-departmental public body, established by the government.
Its mission is to promote and support research into, and
development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the
benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and
improve the quality of life. It is sponsored by the
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
www.innovateuk.org
University of Manchester, Organic Materials Innovation Centre
OMIC is a UK government supported University Innovation Centre for the speciality organic materials and polymer industries, and is bridging the gap between the knowledge which UK Universities generate and that which businesses need in order to innovate and grow. The Centre is based in the School of Chemistry at the University of Manchester and encompasses expertise in organic materials at other universities in the Northwest of England. www.omic.org.uk
Centre for Process Innovation
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) was established as a UK wide resource to stimulate and drive innovation within the Process Industry. Working with global industry partners and leading research universities CPI operates a unique approach, stimulating market-led innovation by bringing together market 'pull' from industry with technology 'push' from academia, addressing the real needs of industry.
Championing four key technology areas that offer the most
sustainable growth and commercial potential for the UK, CPI aims to
become a world-class centre of international importance. Focusing
on the commercialisation of new products and making ready new
technologies for the marketplace, the centre is operating across
the following areas: advanced processes, low carbon energy,
functional materials and printable
electronics.
CPI is leading the development of the new Plastic Electronics Technology Centre (PETeC). PETeC will be established as a national prototyping operation based at NETPark, County Durham, England providing world-class facilities, services and expertise at the hub of a UK-wide network in plastic electronics. The state-of-the-art facilities will include high-tech cleanrooms and laboratories, production and testing equipment together with an intensive and rich design and engineering skill base. www.uk-cpi.com
