Imperial Innovations Group Regulatory News (IVO)

6 Oct 2006 07:01

Imperial Innovations Group plc06 October 2006 Imperial Innovations Group plc Establishment of The Consensus Imperial Innovations Commercialisation Centre Imperial Innovations Group plc (AIM: IVO), one of the leading technologytransfer and commercialisation companies in the UK, has today entered into anagreement with Consensus Business Group to establish The Consensus ImperialInnovations Commercialisation Centre (CIICC). This joint initiative will provide an intelligent technology sourcing service toa range of clients, including governments and large corporates, which will beintroduced by Consensus Business Group from within its client base. The Centrewill perform a range of functions from understanding client technology needs toidentifying, packaging and broking technology solutions to meet these needs. Itsspecific activities will include: • Understanding corporate strategies and mapping their business priorities onto emerging technologies of high future importance • Identifying and packaging technology solutions to specific industry needs, drawing on the resource base comprising Imperial College, Imperial Innovations and its spin out companies, the companies in which Consensus Business Group has invested and with whom it has relationships, and other technology sources. • Developing interdisciplinary research and technology development programmes customised for individual companies • Technology workshops for knowledge matching and networking between industry and scientific entrepreneurs The Centre will be funded by Vincos Limited, the UK service company forConsensus Business Group, and managed by Imperial Innovations as an additionalpart of its business. Consensus Business Group is the designated investmentmanager for a major participant in the funding that accompanied the flotation ofImperial Innovations on AIM in July. The initiative re-inforces the closeworking relationship between Consensus Business Group and Imperial Innovations. Initially, services will be provided to technology-intensive governments andcompanies seeking access to next-generation technologies in advanced energysystems, natural resources and environmental sustainability, multifunctionalmaterials, security, aerospace, automotive, information and communicationtechnologies. However, it is expected that this will be expanded into otherareas in due course. Susan Searle, CEO of Imperial Innovations, said, "The establishment of the Consensus Imperial Innovations CommercialisationCentre supports our focus on working with industry and governments ensuring thatthe technologies we develop have real customer application and complements ourexisting routes to market." Vincent Tchenguiz, Chairman of Consensus Business Group, said, "We are delighted to expand our relationship with Imperial Innovations and lookforward to facilitating the introduction of new technologies to ConsensusBusiness Group's portfolio of investments and business partners. Thesetechnologies will also be sourced for the US$250m MASDAR Clean-Tech Fundrecently established by Consensus Business Group with the government of AbuDhabi and Credit Suisse. "We anticipate significant market demand for the technology services that CIICCwill be delivering - a demand that is already evident, both in the UK andglobally." For more information contact: Imperial InnovationsSusan Searle, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0)20 7594 6591Lucy Ahfong, Marketing Communications Executive +44 (0)20 7594 6644 Consensus Business GroupKevin A. Fallon, Investment Director +44 (0)20 7355 7806Sean Bellew +44 (0)20 7355 7957 M:CommunicationsPatrick d'Ancona / Eleanor Williamson +44 (0)20 7153 1539 Notes to Editors About Imperial Innovations Imperial Innovations is one of the UK's leading technology transfer andcommercialisation companies. The company was founded in 1986 and its ordinaryshares admitted to trading on the AIM Market of London Stock Exchange plc inJuly 2006, raising £26 million. The company's integrated approach encompassesthe identification of ideas, protection of intellectual property, developmentand licensing of technology and formation, incubation and investment in spin-outcompanies. A wide range of technologies are commercialised within the areas ofhealthcare, energy, environment and emerging technology trends. Based at Imperial College London, the company has established equity holdings in58 spin-out companies and has completed 90 commercial agreements. ImperialInnovations also commercialises technologies originating from outside ImperialCollege through incubation contracts with the Carbon Trust and WRAP and hasrelationships with a number of multinational corporations. Imperial Innovations has invested in a range of spin-out companies including TheAcrobot Company Limited, Cardiak Limited, deltaDOT Limited, Future Waves PTELimited, HeliSwirl Technologies Limited, InforSense Limited, Lontra Limited,Midaz Lasers Limited, NanoBiodesign Limited, Nexeon Limited, NovaThera Limited,Photobiotics Limited, Thiakis Limited and Veryan Medical Limited. Imperial Innovations currently holds shares in three spin-out companies nowlisted on AIM; fuel cell company, Ceres Power plc, and ParOS plc, a provider ofenergy-saving advanced control solutions, as well as Nanoscience plc, adeveloper of low power integrated circuits and silicon chips, following itsacquisition of spin-out company Toumaz Technology Limited. Website: www.imperialinnovations.co.uk About Consensus Business Group Consensus Business Group ("Consensus" or "CBG") is a multi-faceted principalinvestor in a broad range of activities, including structured finance and theacquisition, management and development of commercial and residential realestate. Consensus has significant shareholdings in property and property relatedcompanies and is now one of the UK's largest private property companies with£5bn of investments in commercial property and a portfolio of around 200,000residential freeholds. Consensus also invests in new technologies and technology start-ups, developinginnovative business models that radically change traditional modes of business.It has made investments in over 180 companies in this area. Consensus has so far invested and committed in excess of £200 million toenvironmentally orientated companies, projects and funds. Consensus intendsaggressively to increase its activities and operations in this sector. CBG CleanTech Investments Limited BVI is a founding partner with the Government of AbuDhabi and Credit Suisse in the MASDAR Clean-Tech Fund. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange