DMTR.L Regulatory News (DMTR)

4 Jun 2008 12:50



4 June 2008

Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group plc

Collaborative Research and Development in Plastic Electronics 

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: 

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.