Commercial assessment system
with Sheffield University Enterprises Ltd

This system identifies and develops new technologies being developed at Sheffield, and delivers them to market. The process involves an assessment of the strength of the intellectual property, and in the majority of cases patents are filed to protect this. Subsequently potential markets and development partners are identified before a suitable business model can be established to exploit the technology. Marketing may be through licensing, joint ventures and/or the establishment of a spinout company depending on the nature of the product and its market.

Twenty-three emerging technologies have been evaluated by this system over the last eighteen months. These have included:

• Hyperbranched polymers for application as artificial blood
• Conjugated electroluminescent polymers (for higher efficiency LED's)
• Smart Ski bases for faster skis
• Self-healing composites
• Polymer electrolytes for solvent-free lithium batteries operating at ambient temperature
• SUPRAFOAM - for use in high-energy absorption packaging
• "FerrOFET" - Organic field effect transistor memory device
• Block copolymers for printing and security effects

Seven of the twenty-three areas are now either being commercialised or are under negotiation with companies or financiers for funding. Eleven are still in the pipeline, and five have failed to find a suitable business partner or market opportunity.

More information and contact details for the Commercial assessment system is available through the Sheffield University Enterprises (SUEL) website:

SUEL

Exploitation of new technologies in packaging is further assisted at the Polymer Centre by our close association with the Faraday Packaging Partnership. Further details are available through the FaraPack Labs website:

FaraPack