Innovation Relay Centre Network Success stories booklet 2004 -2006

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Building Technology Partnerships

Chapter 1.

Table of content

1. Networking in stained glass (Ref: TTT 776) 2. Foiling the forgers (Ref: TTT 1153) 3. Patient cards go electronic (Ref: TTT 709) 4. Looking underwater with the IRC Network (Ref: TTT 310) 5. Dyeing helps medical science (Ref: TTT 647) 6. Landfill technology offers sustainable solutions (Ref: TTT 1140) 7. Composites take flight (Ref: TTT 1167) 8. Sensing opportunities in water treatment (Ref: TTT 1169) 9. Business software for local needs (Ref: TTT 1182) 10.A light touch for energy savings (Ref: TTT 1266) 11.Coming together for animal scans (Ref: TTT 1278) 12.Cleaner water flows from Norway (Ref: TTT 1284) 13.Hot interest in Irish boreholes (Ref: TTT 1301) 14.Bubble technology that is cleaning up (Ref: TTT 1306) 15.Award-winning vision (Ref: TTT 1354) 16.Unlocking the secrets of life (Ref: TTT 1357) 17.New treatment battles transplant rejection (Ref: TTT 1430) 18.Banking on cells to share (Ref: TTT 1440) 19.Simulation spins from Finland to Italy, and beyond (Ref: TTT 1493) 20.Getting the drugs on target (Ref: TTT 1504) 21.Secure way to successful shredding (Ref: TTT 1541) 22.Tapping a window of opportunity (Ref: 4.08·2) 23.Perfect peaches (Ref: TTT 1698) 24.Reducing accidents by making the blind visible (Ref: TTT 1807) 25.Fishing for food additives, paints and plastics (Ref: TTT 1821) 26.Good vibrations (Ref: TTT 1823) 27.Hemp – the building material of the future? (Ref: TTT 1839) 28.Home care help for retirees (Ref: TTT 1892) 29.Yachting comfort on cruise control (Ref: TTT 1899) 30.Making the mark with the IRCs (Ref: TTT 1919) 31.Adding spice to Greek firm’s product range (Ref: TTT 1923) 32.Taking Europe to South America! (Ref: TTT 1983) 33.Moving the molecule to market (Ref: TTT 2013) 34.Finnish company helps clear the air (Ref: TTT 2021) 35.Lightweight tool to measure bone atrophy in space (Ref: TTT 2220) 36.Logistics make freight roll faster (Ref: TTT 800) 37.‘Shrinking’ mobility aid for the obese (Ref: TTT 877) 38.Sweet dreams of success (Ref: TTT 916) 39.Flexible concrete for safer roads (Ref: TTT 0930)

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Innovation Relay Centre Network

Glass - Materials

Networking in stained glass A Maltese craftsman's idea has stimulated the development of an innovative computer-driven glass-cutting machine that may find a niche market worldwide. The initial idea was supported and transformed by the intervention of the IRC network.

"This story is a perfect example of networking," says Elizabeth Bain, innovation adviser at IRC Northern England. "It really involves two networks working together: the IRC network and the inter-company networks we can tap into."

One man in Malta It began in Summer 2002 with G.M.C. Stained Glass, on the Maltese island of Gozo. This one-man stained glass design and manufacturing business was experiencing the problems of success. Proprietor George Camilleri was turning business away because he could not keep pace with customer demand. He had the idea of replacing his manual glass-cutting methods with a computer-driven laser cutting machine. But where could he find such a machine, or who might make one for him?

(Ref: TTT 776) experience, so they were top of my list as soon as I read that Technology Request."

Moving through the networks Faerestrand passed the TR to Alec Mitchell of MDE and mediated a lengthy dialogue between MDE and Camilleri to establish exactly what was required. "I made contact with lots of people doing laser cutting," says Mitchell, "and I also conducted a wide search for suitable technology over the web. I came to the conclusion that developing a laser cutting system would be extremely expensive and was not really the sensible way to proceed." Mitchell began to think about other options. One of his own business contacts told him about a company in Glasgow that cuts out cards, and at this company Mitchell found a machine produced by Trucut Technology Ltd, in Manchester, England. Mitchell contacted Trucut, thinking they may be able to supply parts for a system that MDE could develop. "I discovered Trucut already had a machine for cutting rectilinear shapes in flat glass," says Mitchell. Trucut had considered

"I discovered the IRC by coincidence at a local trade fair," says Camilleri. It was a meeting that led to Joseph Grech, an executive at IRC Malta, drawing up a Technology Request to circulate Camilleri's requirements across the IRC network. Grech also conducted an extensive technology search, but could not find anything to meet Camilleri's needs. Bill Faerestrand, an executive at IRC Scotland noticed the TR and immediately thought it might suit Mitchell Design Engineers (MDE), in Glasgow. "I know MDE very well," explains Faerestrand, "and they have a lot of laser and optics

Success Story

The underwater cleaning robot, with camera attached

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developing more versatile systems to cut awkward shapes, but had not pursued the idea. Alec Mitchell's approach was the necessary stimulus for Trucut to start working with Camilleri and the contacts in the IRCs in Malta, Scotland and Northern England. Alec Mitchell was happy to pass the baton on to Trucut, in return for an appropriate fee for his development work.

Trucut's existing machines use computerbased designs to control a traditional glass-cutting wheel. "Cutting complex shapes in stained glass required extensive changes to the software," explains Graham Ride, Trucut's sales and marketing director. "We also had to refine the hardware to provide sensitive pressure regulation and improved lubrication of the cutting wheel." Developing a machine to suit George Camilleri's requirements involved detailed negotiations, all completed at a distance thanks to the close involvement of the IRC as intermediary. Graham Ride reports that this help from the IRC was invaluable. He points out: "George Camilleri never had to fly over from Malta and we never had to take a machine over there during development. Working like this needed the IRC as a third party to help with everything, including handling the detailed contractual negotiations in an evenhanded manner." In November 2003 Trucut and G.M.C Stained Glass signed a commercial agreement with technical assistance, which includes continuing work

to refine the software that drives the cutting machine.

A technology that may spread The end result of all this networking is that Camilleri has a machine that does what he needs, and he reports it is proving "very, very successful." His ability to handle orders has increased to the extent that he is now looking at possible markets across Europe, and is being assisted by the IRC with this search. Trucut are exploring the possibilities of applying the innovative technology more widely. "I take heart from the fact that if one person in Gozo can find a great deal of use for such a machine there must be many other people out there with the need for it," says Ride. It could all have been so different, if Camilleri had simply been told that his original idea of a laser-based cutter was not feasible. Instead, the contacts made by the IRC network ensured a much happier outcome. "George Camilleri was able to draw on all the resources of a network spread across all of Europe to meet his needs," says Joseph Grech of IRC Malta. "This is a great example of the help very small companies can get from the huge resources of the IRCs."

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IRC contacts: Malta Joseph Grech IRC Malta (Malta Council for Science and Technology) Tel: +356 2360 2144 Fax: +356 2166 0341 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.innovationmalta.com/ United Kingdom Bill Faerestrand IRC Scotland (Targeting Innovation Ltd.) Tel: +44 141 572 1600 Fax: +44 141 572 1608 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.ircscotland.com/ Elizabeth Bain IRC North-North Manche (Chamber Business Enterprises) Tel: +44 (0) 161 237 4070 Fax: +44 (0) 161 236 4160 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.c-b-e.co.uk/ Company contacts: G.M.C. Stained Glass Tel: +356 2156 0261 Fax: +356 2156 0261 E-mail: [email protected] Graham Ride Trucut Technology Ltd Tel: +44 1270 766200 Fax: +44 1270 766668 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.trucut.co.uk/ Alec Mitchell Mitchell Design Engineers Tel: +44 141 946 4358 Fax: +44 141 950 8630 E-mail: [email protected]

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Data Processing

Patient cards go electronic A German software design company used an IRC brokerage event to find a partner in Hungary. The partners have devised a new mobile electronic system (VSWmobile®) for the collection and retrieval of medical information about patients in hospitals and clinics.

As soon as a patient arrives at a hospital or clinic they begin to generate data, including their personal details, blood pressure, heart rate, medical history, results of blood tests and other diagnostic procedures. The data quickly accumulates, and traditionally it has often been stored in the form of written notes on 'patient cards'.

Capturing data with software A few years ago, Heinz Vilsmeier, managing director of VSW Vilsmeier Systemware GmbH, of Berlin, became interested in bringing all this data-capture up to date. The idea was to use hand-held Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) linked via a wireless network to a central computer server.

Heinz Vilsmeier with the VSWmobile®

"We had good contacts with a specialised clinic for accident victims," explains Vilsmeier. "They had studied the potential for using PDAs in hospitals and found that it would make a lot of sense in emergency medicine. As a result of their interest we

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 709) agreed to try to design the necessary software." Vilsmeier had a problem, however, and one that is common to many innovative SMEs. His company is very small and writing the programs to convert the software design into a working solution would be a labour-intensive task requiring a team of specialists. "It would have been very costly to do this in Berlin," says Vilsmeier. Fortunately, this is where the IRC network stepped in to help.

Meeting at the brokerage event Katrin Schmohl, a consultant at IRC Northern Germany picks up the story, saying: "I knew that IRC Hungary were organising a transnational technology transfer brokerage event in Budapest, so I wrote to various ICT companies in our region inviting them to participate and learn about possible partners in Hungary." VSW were one of the companies who responded, leading Heinz Vilsmeier to make the trip to Budapest in June 2003. It was a fortuitous journey, because one of the contacts Vilsmeier made was with Sándor Dankó, chief executive officer of a Hungarian software-development company called ITware. Vilsmeier and Dankó got talking, and soon realised that ITware could provide the expertise VSW was looking for at a cost that would make the collaboration commercially viable for both. In September 2003 VSW and ITware signed a transnational technology transfer agreement allowing VSW's software designs to be executed by ITware's programmers. The agreement is a full technical and commercial joint venture, with the profits being split between the two companies. "We added our IT technology and software development expertise to Heinz Vilsmeier's knowledge of the requirements of clinics and

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hospitals, and his vast experience in clinical information systems," explains Dankó. The collaboration has now produced the first software module for gathering medical history. It allows medical staff to collect data at the bedside, input it to their PDAs, with wireless transfer continuously storing the data on a central computer. Specialised security systems ensure that the information can easily be retrieved and added to, but only by the staff who are allowed to access any particular patients records.

Worldwide interest The system, now called VSWmobile®, was demonstrated at MEDICA 2003, one of the biggest European fairs for medical technology. It attracted widespread interest from medical personnel from many different countries. A full clinical study testing the implementation of the system will begin in Berlin in June 2004. The partners also plan to build on the progress so far by developing a range of other software modules to widen the scope and variety of applications. Their work has the potential to revolutionise medical data storage, bringing it into the modern information technology world. Sony Business Europe has now also entered the partnership, and will provide the PDAs for the initial trial. Without the help of the IRC network, however, VSW might still have been struggling to implement their software designs in a cost-effective manner. "The IRC is a great thing," says an appreciative Heinz Vilsmeier. Katrin Schmohl of IRC Northern Germany reports that "the co-operation with VSW will continue." She believes that the IRC can give additional help to both VSW and Itware, to further explore and exploit opportunities for working with foreign partners. Sándor Dankó of ITware agrees, adding: "The IRC has been a great help. Ever

Success Story

since the first meeting, Patricia Merei of IRC Hungary has monitored progress, helped by supplying information about MEDICA 2003, and is looking for more partners for further development."Patricia Merei is the project manager at IRC Hungary who played a lead role in organising the brokerage event in Budapest where the two companies met. Reflecting on the wider importance of such events, she comments: "During the twoday event, 34 negotiations took place, based on the 24 profiles received from different countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, and Hungary. These brokerage events offer a good platform for participants to get in direct bilateral contact with internationally active companies, universities and R&D organisations."

IRC contacts: Germany Katrin Schmohl IRC Northern Germany (TSB Technologiestiftung Innovationszentrum Berlin) Tel: +49 30 3101 0748 Fax: +49 30 4630 2444 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.irc-norddeutschland.de/ Hungary Patricia Merei IRC Hungary (INNOSTART - Hungary National Business & Innovation Centre) Tel: +36 1 382 1514 Fax: +36 1 382 1510 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://irc.info.omikk.bme.hu Company contacts:

Heinz Vilsmeier VSW Vilsmeier Systemware GmbH

Tel: +49 30 7477 3939 Fax: +49 30 7477 3949 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.vsw-berlin.com/ Sándor Dankó ITware Tel: + 36 30 930 3404 Fax: + 36 1 463 0621 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.itware.hu/index_eng.php

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Electromedical equipment

Dyeing helps medical science An IRC-network organised transnational technology transfer brokerage event allowed an Austrian research centre building a new microscope system to meet a German manufacturer of the fluorescent dyes the system required. This led to a technical co-operation agreement that has now resulted in a commercialised product.

Biological and medical analysis is undergoing a revolution in miniaturisation as part of the growing field of nanotechnology. The entire human genome can now be analysed on a single 'chip' the size of a microscope slide. Chemicals such as proteins and drugs can be analysed at single-molecule resolution. These developments require new and ever more sensitive ways to detect biomolecules and monitor their changes. Key components are dye molecules that can be used as markers to label and identify specific molecules.ld never have come together.

Meeting at the brokerage event Dyomics GmbH, in Jena, Germany, specialise in manufacturing dyes for medicine and biology. "We are developing innovative dyes for many applications," explains Peter Czerney, founder and chief executive officer of Dyomics. "Our innovations include dyes that can be detected more simply than the alternatives, with less need for specialist equipment." In a bid to find partners with applications for their dyes, Dyomics established contact with IRC South Germany. Details of what Dyomics have to offer were submitted to the IRC database, but it was a more direct approach that actually bore fruit. Elke Römhild, an Innovation Consultant at IRC South Germany explains: "The IRC

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 647) organises regular transnational technology transfer brokerage events across Europe, at which companies exhibit what they have to offer and can meet possible partners. We took Peter Czerney to one such event in Zurich, but that visit did not yield any results. However, we then went to another brokerage event in Stuttgart, where Dr Czerney met representatives of Upper Austrian Research (UAR)." This meeting was successful, because UAR were looking for exactly the kind of dyes that Dyomics were able to offer.

Building a new microscope system UAR is a public-private partnership that draws on technology developed by Austrian universities. They have developed a new type of fluorescence microscope (the 'CytoScout'), using the fluorescence from the Dyomics dyes to detect the molecules the dyes are attached to. This is the result of a technical co-operation agreement reached between Dyomics and UAR once the IRC network had brought them together. "The good thing about the Dyomics dyes is their optical extinction," says Max Sonnleitner, head of device development at UAR. Work to develop the new microscope began at the Institute of Biophysics at the University of Linz, to which Sonnleitner is also attached. "At the university we were doing this work with five lasers, one microscope and lots of optics in a system that is difficult to work with," Sonnleitner explains. "We decided to produce a modified microscope that is simpler to use and that everybody can work with more easily with singlemolecule sensitivity." In addition to ease of use, another key feature of the new UAR microscope is that it can scan large areas much faster than traditional methods. It can be used to study illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and much more.

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Thanks to the collaboration between UAR and Dyomics, the new system is now commercially available. "We have just finished setting up the first external system at a biological research centre in Hungary," says Sonnleitner, "and we already have some other potential customers we are working with right now." He is glad that the IRC was able to facilitate the initial contact with Dyomics, and feels that the Dyomics dyes could possibly be applied more widely to other systems being developed by UAR.

The role of local knowledge The process linking UAR with Dyomics came about thanks to the knowledge that IRC Austria already had about UAR. This is an example of the very close links between many IRCs and local small companies. Thomas Staltner, project manager at IRC Austria explains that his host organisation (CATT Innovation Management GmbH) is in the Upper Austrian Technology Network, which also has UAR as one of its most prominent members. "We knew all about UAR," Staltner says, "so when the brokerage event was being organised in Stuttgart we contacted UAR and asked if they wanted to participate." IRC Austria organised the subsequent visit to Stuttgart, and helped UAR to prepare a Technology Profile for the brokerage event's catalogue. "This technical co-operation agreement is a good example of the services the IRC provides," says Staltner, "because it was

quite difficult for UAR to find a producer of the dyes they needed." He explains that one major company had expressed some interest, but it had wanted to retain rights over UAR's device. "So UAR was glad to find another company for technical cooperation without such restrictions." Staltner also highlights the point that the intervention of the IRC reduced the overall development costs of the project, by shortening the time involved. Peter Czerney hopes the IRC network may help Dyomics to find new partners to work with on the other innovations now being developed by the company. His experience of the IRC means he will be happy to work with them again if new opportunities arise.

IRC contacts: Germany Elke Römhild, IRC South Germany (THATI GmbH-IRC) Tel: +49 361 789 23 76 Fax: +49 361 789 23 44 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.stift-thueringen.de/ Austria Gilbert Schreiber, IRC Austria (CATT Innovation Management GmbH) Tel: +43 732 9015 5428 Fax: +43 732 9015 5421 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.catt.at/ Company contacts: Peter Czerney, Dyomics GmbH Tel: +49 3641 508200 Fax: +49 3641 508201 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.dyomics.com/ Max Sonnleitner, UAR - ZBN Tel: +43 70 60 60 79 17 Fax: +43 70 60 60 79 30 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.uar.at/

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Environment, Robotics

Looking underwater with the IRC Network A small Greek technical development company has provided the expertise and equipment to allow a Swedish company to develop its robotic systems for underwater cleaning. The IRC network brought the two companies together, and will support their further co-operation.

Weda is a long-established business in Södertälje, Sweden, specialised in making machines for underwater cleaning applications. Their cleaning machines are used in a wide range of environments, from swimming pools and drinking water towers to large reservoirs and sewage systems. "On some of our machines we use cameras," explains Klas Lange, Weda's managing director. "Normally we buy these from the USA or United Kingdom, and they are very expensive." The expense can be justified if the camera is absolutely essential, but some years ago Lange perceived a need for developing less expensive and more efficient camera systems, to allow cameras to be included as an option on a wider range of equipment. This need has been met thanks to an approach Lange received from IRC Central Sweden.

The IRC makes a link

(Ref: TTT 310)

"They looked like a good company to work with," says Berg, "so I sent them some Technology Offers, including one from the Greek company Hellas Group Electronics (HGE), which develops camera equipment. Klas Lange told me that this technology was very interesting, because it was something they were looking for, so a visit to Greece was arranged to discuss the possibilities for co-operation." Constantine Karamanis, a consultant at IRC Hellenic in Greece, was able to accompany Lange on his visit to HGE and provide help with the discussions, including interpreting and translation services. For IRC Hellenic, this was a promising development in their relationship with HGE, which had begun

The underwater cleaning robot, with camera attached

some years earlier. Lars Berg, project manager at IRC Central Sweden, regularly receives recommendations from his wide network of contacts about companies that might benefit from the IRC's services. Weda was recommended to him in this way in 2001. Berg telephoned Weda to introduce himself, and a visit was arranged at which he explained all the services that the IRC can offer.

"We first met HGE during an exhibition, where we had a stand promoting the services of the IRC network," explains Karamanis. After learning about HGE's technology, the IRC worked with HGE to distribute a Technology Offer (TO) across the IRC network. This was the information which Lars Berg passed on to Klas Lange of Weda. 11

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As a result of the meeting in Greece, Weda and HGE (now called Mariner Underwater Electronics) signed a technical co-operation agreement allowing Mariner to develop and supply a digital camera system for Weda, as the first step in what may prove to be a wider collaboration. Improved and more cost-effective optics

"The technology being transferred under this agreement is an underwater camera with built-in LED lights," explains Marinos Pitas, the founder and owner of Mariner. "The camera transmits images to the operator, working with Weda's underwater cleaning robot. A new design for the optical system used in Weda's robot is also being discussed. The advantages of our technology are low power consumption, high performance of the optical system and the small volume resulting from the built-in light system as opposed to an external one. Our company also proposed an improved arrangement for transmission of the signal." Klas Lange hopes that Mariner's expertise may be of continuing assistance in the development of improved underwater imaging systems. "I will be in Greece to see them again soon," Lange explains. "They are a technical development company so I think there may be possibilities for the joint development of other ideas that I have. There is certainly the potential for future cooperation to a larger extent than what we have today." Help on many fronts

activities of the IRC network can bring together companies across Europe to produce collaborations that would never have happened otherwise. In Sweden, the initiative of Lars Berg in approaching Weda, before even being aware of what technology needs it might have, was crucial. In Greece, IRC Hellenic worked closely with Mariner to develop the original TO and also gave assistance in many other ways. Constantine Karamanis, of IRC Hellenic explains: "The assistance given to Mariner was multidimensional. It is a small company, with significant experience and products, but without the personnel or the means to promote these products most effectively. After a company visit, we provided a technology and management audit and significant advice on both technology and management issues. This agreement represents a diversification for the company, and it was initially an idea of the IRC staff to diversify their product range, since their existing potential clientele was limited. The IRC also gave them advice on how to work with and treat foreign clients. " Both Mariner and Weda are very happy with the way the IRC has supported them.I would not have found [Mariner] without the IRC," says Klas Lange, "and it is good to have a local contact in Sweden, and also have the chance to meet with a local IRC person in Greece. I would definitely make use of the IRC network again." Marino Pitas of Mariner agrees: "I have already recommended the IRC to other companies."

This transnational technology transfer agreement demonstrates vividly how the

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IRC contacts: Greece Constantine Karamanis IRC Hellenic Tel:. +30 210 727 3918 Fax: +30 210 724 6824 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.hirc.gr/ Sweden Lars Berg IRC Central Sweden Tel: +46 7 063 936 28 Fax: +46 8 750 54 30 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.acreo.se/ Company contacts: Marinos Pitas Mariner Underwater Electronics Tel: +30 210 410 0656 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.mariner.gr/ Klas Lange Weda Tel: +46 8 550 325 50 Fax: +46 8 550 310 50 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.weda.se/

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Environment

Foiling the forgers Sometimes the IRC network can solve technological problems extremely fast. Less than six weeks after approaching their local IRC, a Polish hosiery company was able to sign a technology transfer agreement with an Italian company to acquire the know-how needed to make its products much more secure from forgery.

Many technological innovations involve new methods of producing goods or of achieving some desired service. It is just as important, however, to use technology to protect a company?s products once they are made, and as they are distributed. This TTT agreement concerns a company in Italy which had the knowhow required to protect the products of a Polish company from forgery. Without the intervention of the IRCs, the problem and the solution would never have come together.

The IRC is recommended FIORE is a successful Polish hosiery company in Lodz, Poland; but in early 2003 it was seriously concerned about forgery of its products. Jerzy Biernacki, production managing director of FIORE, estimates that about 15% of the company's potential export volume was being lost due to forgery. Biernacki recognised the urgent need to tackle the problem, but was unaware of where to find the necessary technology or knowhow. Another local textile company recommended the IRC network to him, as a good source of help for both financial and technical issues. This led Biernacki to approach IRC South Poland at the end of July 2003, to see what they could offer. "The specific technological needs of FIORE became a challenge for the IRC," explains Krzysztof Kucharski, project officer at IRC South Poland. Kucharski worked with Biernacki to prepare a Technology Request (TR) that was circulated through

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 1153) the IRC network's bulletin board system. The IRC in Poland was also able to provide some assistance to FIORE in obtaining funding for their development work.

Specialised foil and print Responses to the TR came very quickly. Biernacki says: "I was greatly impressed by the fast reaction." The most useful response was from Susanna Chericoni, Coordinator at IRC Recital which covers the Italian regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The textile machinery sector plays a significant role in the Tuscan economy, so Chericoni already had many contacts in this field. "As soon as I saw the Polish TR I contacted some possible clients who might be able to satisfy their technical requirements," Chericoni explains. She soon discovered that local company BG Assistenza had the know-how needed to make Biernacki's products much more secure. Chericoni contacted Moreno Gialdini, the proprietor of BG Assistenza, in early August 2003. "What the Polish company needed was a good match with my own activities," says Gialdini. "Within a few days I visited Ms Chericoni at the IRC offices in Pisa, and she explained all the IRC?s activities and services to me. Within a week a visit to Lodz had been arranged, and both IRCs assisted me during that visit and helped in writing the eventual agreement." The agreement brokered by the IRCs was signed in September 2003. It is a "knowhow transfer" which has given FIORE the ability to develop much more secure and forgery-proof packaging for their products. "It involves a special type of overprint on a foil package cover", explains Jerzy Biernacki of FIORE. "This overprint makes the package secure, unlike conventional labels which can be easily removed."

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This agreement demonstrates that transferring know-how can be just as significant to a company as any transfer of complex technology. Biernacki expects that the investment made in acquiring the know-how will be recouped within about two years. He is also very happy with the training that BG Assistenza provided as part of the agreement, allowing FIORE's own staff to implement the solution very effectively.

their collaboration, exploring wider opportunities to work together. "BG Assistenza is a very small company", says Chericoni, "but with a lot of years of significant and fruitful experience. The collaboration with the IRCs gave them advice on how to work with and treat foreign clients and expand their operations abroad." Moreno Gialdini certainly appreciates the help, saying: "Without access to a network like the IRCs, I don't think we would ever have found FIORE, so the IRC assistance has been invaluable." The story of success breeding success also applies in Poland. Krzysztof Kucharski says that "thanks to very good bilateral collaboration with the IRC in Italy there is now a chance for us to agree another TTT between textile companies from our regions."

The packaging line at FIORE Hosiery

Preparation breeds success The agreement also illustrates the benefits of the ongoing work that IRCs do in the background, learning about their local companies so that they have the information needed to detect and respond to opportunities as soon as they arise. "In the past few years our IRC has established many interesting contacts with local companies and trade associations linked to the textile sector," says Susanna Chericoni. It was this detailed understanding of local know-how that allowed FIORE's needs to be satisfied so quickly. Each new success lays the foundations for further developments. Chericoni reports that new possibilities for her IRC to cooperate with BG Assistenza have already been identified. At the same time, FIORE and BG Assistenza are continuing

Success Story

IRC contacts: Italy Susanna Chericoni IRC Tuscany/Umbria - Recital, Italy (Consorzio Pisa Ricerche) Tel. +39 050 972 369 Fax: +39 050 540 056 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.recital.it/ Poland Krzysztof Kucharski IRC South Poland (TTC/Incubator Foundation) Tel: +48 42 637 2375 Fax: +48 42 637 2315 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.transfer.edu.pl/ircpk/eng/index.htm Company contacts: Gialdini Moreno BG Assistenza Tel: +39 0572 634 994 Fax: +39 0572 930 043 E-mail: [email protected] Jerzy Biernacki FIORE Hosiery Tel: +48 42 636 9688 Fax: +48 42 637 13 47 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.fiore.com.pl

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Environment

Landfill technology offers sustainable solutions Two SMEs from Poland and the UK have joined forces to develop an innovative and sustainable way to line landfill sites. Traditionally, landfills are lined with a mineral that has to be shipped from the United States. But Polish company PRGW has produced a system that uses locally sourced clay that can be modified to form a protective barrier between a landfill and the surrounding area. Northern Irelandbased Ecomesh produces vertical lining systems for landfills, and so a prospective partnership was in the offing when they heard about PRGW’s technology.

Landfill sites must be lined properly to ensure that toxins do not leach into the surrounding area. Traditionally, engineers use a substance called Bentonite to form the required barrier, a mineral that can hold many times its own weight in water. It is an effective way of preventing leachates from migrating into neighbouring soil and watercourses. Unfortunately, such materials have to be shipped from other continents – an unsustainable and costly operation. Now a viable European alternative to Bentonite has arrived on the market thanks to the work of Polish SME PRGW, which is based in Sosnoweic. The company has developed a way to modify clay so that it can be injected into the walls of a landfill site and form the necessary protective barrier.

Sustainable solution “The clay will penetrate even the smallest of cracks – it can be distributed very precisely,” explains Mateusz Kus from PRGW. “The clay is elastic and will not dry out and can withstand vibration.” Of course it is not a question of pumping in any type of clay – it must first be modified. Liquefied calcite, cement and other ingredients are added to the mixture.

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 1140)

The bonus of using this product is that the modification process is quite cheap – certainly more cost-effective than shipping Bentonite. It is also a sustainable solution because it utilises clay that is locally sourced – or uses clay that is deposited at the landfill itself. Essentially, this means reusing what would normally be regarded as a waste product.

A viable European alternative . . .

Product appeal PRGW’s technology looked extremely appealing to Ecomesh, a firm which manufactures its own patented vertical lining system for landfills. “We were looking for ways of locally sourcing material that could be used as hydro-insulation barriers when our local IRC put us in contact with PRGW,” explains Ivan Rowe, Ecomesh’s managing director. The two firms’ work and expertise were a perfect fit, according to Rowe. “PRGW’s modified clay-injection system works below ground level, whilst our barriers are mainly for above ground. “Marrying the two systems together gave both of us a greater number of tools to offer clients for the remediation of their brownfield sites.” Kus agrees, noting that the two companies can now offer their clients a

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complete solution that can protect the area surrounding a landfill from all kinds of pollution.

Meeting criteria Using modified clay as a lining also sits well with the EU’s 1997 Landfill Directive, which calls for sites to be run in a more sustainable fashion. Using clays from a local source is infinitely more sustainable than importing material from across the world. It is also possible to put waste clay through a treatment process and then recycle and use it for the lining system. In addition, this reduces the need to ship hazardous waste for treatment – again a costly and environmentally unsustainable activity. “The whole ethos of what we do is to treat waste locally,” says Rowe. “Most landfills receive large amounts of clay for disposal: what we say to our clients is don’t tip it into a hole and bury it – put it to one side because we can use it to create the lining system for the landfill. “We are taking what is effectively a waste product and utilising it in the landfill – that is an incredibly sustainable process.” It is almost four years since Ecomesh first received information on PRGW’s technology through the IRC network. IRC South Poland and IRC Northern Ireland helped the two companies make initial contact and arranged the first meeting, held in Krakow in June 2002. “The IRC people were extremely helpful in the first stages – it would have been impossible to find each other without their assistance,” explains Kus.

Lasting relationship The relationship continues to grow. The two firms are now jointly tendering for work in Poland, and once bureaucratic hurdles have been overcome, they will soon start work on their first site in Northern Ireland.

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They are also taking part in the EU-backed NITRABAR project which is exploring ways to reduce nitrate contamination through the use of permeable reactive barriers. The three-year project is funded under the EU’s LIFE-Environment Programme. And the bonds between PRGW and Ecomesh look set to be strengthened further. The companies are now in the process of creating a European Economic Interest Group (EEIG), along with two other European partners. According to Rowe, the move should produce effective solutions for their clients. “We are small to medium-sized companies, but we all bring something to the table in terms of brownfield remediation. Together as a group we feel we have the most cost-effective solutions for whatever environmental problems we may encounter.”

IRC contacts: Poland Tomasz Maczuga IRC South Poland Tel. +48 12 6282 845 [email protected] United Kingdom Marshall Addidle IRC Northern Ireland Tel. +44 2890 698 824 [email protected] Company contacts: Mateusz Kus PRGW Ul. Teatralna 9 41-200 Sosnoweic, Poland Tel./Fax +48 32 266 8900 [email protected] http://www.prgw.com.pl/ Ivan Rowe Ecomesh Ltd 61D Townhill Road Portglenone, Ballymena Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland BT44 8AG Tel. +44 28 2582 2325 [email protected] http://www.ecomesh.biz/

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Materials and transport

Composites take flight A Dutch company specialising in thermoplastic composite materials transformation has found a partner in France to incorporate its process into components for building aircraft. The companies were brought together by the IRC network, establishing a link that could flourish as advanced composites increasingly replace metals in aircraft manufacturing. The Dutch technology has significant advantages over alternative methods of composite production.

The ideal components for aircraft manufacture must be lightweight, strong and be able to be produced quickly and cost-effectively. The metals traditionally used, especially aluminium, are increasingly being replaced by thermoplastic composites. These are formed from layers of carbon, glass or strong fabrics, impregnated with plastic resins that can be moulded into shape at high temperatures. The Dutch company DTC (Dutch Thermoplastic Composites) is now supplying thermoplastic composite components for advanced aircraft applications to the French company DAHER, in an agreement which was achieved as a result of IRC intervention.

(Ref: TTT 1167) technology offer to the attention of the French company. It soon became clear that DTC might be able to meet the technical requirements of DAHER, in their quest to produce aircraft components quickly and cost-effectively and making a greater use of advanced thermoplastic composites. A meeting between the companies was arranged at an IRC aeronautics brokerage event held at Le Bourget airport in Paris. This enabled a commercial agreement to be signed about two months later, through which DTC began to produce and supply components for DAHER to incorporate into the products they supply to their customers.

Time and cost advantages The DTC technology possesses significant advantages over more conventional ways of producing high-performance composites. The standard procedures involve a greater degree of manual handling of the materials and require baking of components at high temperatures in an autoclave oven for several hours.

A link with the IRC The foundation for the deal was the longterm professional relationship between David Manten, a Director at DTC, and Paul Asselbergs of Syntens – one of the host organisations of IRC Netherlands. “I have used the IRC before and have known Paul Asselbergs for about ten years,” explains David Manten. “He suggested that we distribute the details of our composites technology across the IRC network as a way of searching for more international partners.”

Aircraft part made from thermoplastic composite (courtesy of DAHER)

During a technology audit visit to the DAHER company in France, IRC Grand-Est (now IRC Centr’Atlantic) brought the DTC

Manten explains: “Our own technology, developed on the basis of our years of experience and know-how, involves

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thermo-forming pre-supplied composite sheets into three-dimensional shaped products. A crucial difference is that our process has a cycle time of between three and five minutes instead of the several hours required by other methods. So we can offer huge cost, time and capacity advantages.” The possibilities for the collaboration were initially explored by making some prototype components intended for use in the Airbus A380 aircraft. That particular application was not taken forward to production, but it allowed DTC and DAHER to investigate several options. “This initial development work gave us a better understanding of the use of thermoplastics in these aircraft parts,” comments Dominique Bailly, R&D engineer of DAHER. DTC then began to produce composites for an air inlet component that DAHER supply for the new Dassault F7x business jet.

Expected expansion It seems likely that the IRC network has brought these two companies together for what should be a long-term and growing partnership. “The relationship between DAHER and DTC is very good,” says Bailly. He feels that there will be definite opportunities for additional collaboration in future, adding: “when new needs arise we will certainly discuss them with DTC”. Working with foreign partners is not a new experience for DTC, and most of their work is done in the international arena, but David Manten is keen to emphasise that he believes the link with DAHER could be a very important one for his company in the long term.

“If you look at the way the aircraft industry is going, there is clearly going to be increasing use of composites for small parts, replacing things that were previously made from metal,” explains Manten. “Our technology provides a way to make these composite parts cost effectively and in the high volumes required to make affordable aircraft with new materials.”

IRC contacts: Netherlands Paul Asselbergs IRC Netherlands Tel. +31 704 145 555 [email protected] http://www.syntens.nl/ France Nathalie Leemput IRC Centr’Atlantic Tel. +33 2 38 69 80 01 [email protected] http://www.anvar.fr/ Company contacts: David Manten DTC Tel. +31 320 413 308 [email protected] http://www.composites.nl/ Dominique Bailly DAHER Tel. +33 2 54 71 13 14 [email protected] http://www.daher.com/

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Environment

Sensing opportunities in water treatment

(Ref: TTT 1169)

The Dutch R&D company Bright Spark was struggling to find chemical sensors for its patented water treatment technology until it turned to the IRC network for help. Bright Spark was quickly put in touch with Spanish researchers who could solve the technical problems and also assist with manufacturing the water-treatment system on a commercial scale. The first sales will follow soon, initially in The Netherlands and Spain, but with considerable potential worldwide.

sensor technology to overcome this problem.”

Bright Spark is a Dutch research and development company which has developed a patented water-treatment process based on electrolysis. By exposing the water to electricity, short-lived reactive chlorine is formed from salts naturally present in the water. This creates a powerful disinfectant effect, but does not leave unwanted chemicals in the water because the active chlorine quickly reverts to the stable chloride ions from which it came.

A solution from Spain

He tried working with technical universities in The Netherlands, but they could not find any solution. Fortunately the Business Innovation Network Syntens, which is a partner in IRC-NL, told Bright Spark about the IRC network. A technology request was developed by IRCNL and Syntens, in co-operation with Bright Spark, and then circulated throughout the network

Maurice Tax was surprised by the speed of results, explaining: “Within just a couple of weeks IRC Catalonia in Barcelona told me that the Technical University of Barcelona had the techniques to produce the sensors I needed.”

Looking for sensors One incentive for developing Bright Spark’s process was that Dutch law prohibits the long-term presence of active chlorine in drinking water. So chlorination processes in use in many other countries cannot be used there. Dutch law also requires the level of active chlorine in drinking water to be carefully measured. The problem Bright Spark faced was that standard, commercially available sensor techniques were not able to measure the active chlorine levels correctly. “The electrolysis caused significant difficulties,” explains Maurice Tax, owner and general manager of Bright Spark. “It creates hydrogen and oxygen in the water that interferes with conventional sensor readings. So I was looking for a new

Success Story

A Bright Spark sensor system

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This led to talks with Dr Francesc Xavier Muñoz of the microelectronics research institute IMB-CNM, CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) in Barcelona. “A few years ago we decided to develop cheap microchips to detect chloride in water,” explains Francesc Xavier Muñoz. So when he saw Bright Spark’s technology request he immediately realised that he probably had what was required. About one month later Maurice Tax was in Barcelona to discuss the possibilities in detail. The Spanish researchers had to adapt the sensor design to suit the very low concentrations specified by Bright Spark. But after a short development period they were able to demonstrate that their microchip sensors could perform exactly as required. The next vital step towards a full commercial agreement came when CSIC IMB-CNM put Bright Spark in touch with an industrial partner company, IBQ. This has led to IBQ obtaining an agreement to produce the sensing instrumentation for Bright Spark on a commercial scale, and to market the water treatment technology in Spain. Thanks to the assistance from the IRCs this significant barrier to commercial development of Bright Spark’s technology has been removed.

A global market “We now have a production model and are ready to enter the market,” says Maurice Tax. Initially the key markets will be in The Netherlands and Spain, but there is considerable potential worldwide. Even in countries with less stringent regulations than the Netherlands, the technology offers the advantages of avoiding the taste and smell of chlorine in drinking water. It also offers greater sensitivity and therefore more effective control than competing technologies.

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The main initial application is to disinfect drinking water supplies, but there are opportunities for wider applications, such as measuring the chemical content of agricultural fertiliser solutions and irrigation systems. Francesc Xavier Muñoz can also see further possibilities, commenting: “We believe that the instrumentation we have developed may also find other applications in Spain, particularly since using our sensors is significantly cheaper than alternative methods.” The Spanish researchers are also working on new developments targeted at other chemical processes, and they can see potential for more extensive collaboration with Bright Spark on these initiatives. “So this is really a very good contact that we have formed,” concludes Muñoz.

IRC contacts:

Netherlands Paul Asselbergs IRC-NL Tel. +31 70 414 5555 [email protected] http://www.syntens.nl/ Spain Mònica Duran IRC Catalonia Tel. +34 93 476 72 88 [email protected] http://www.cidem.com/irc/ Company contacts: Maurice Tax Bright Spark BV Tel. +31 513 419 119 [email protected] http://www.brightspark.nl/ Francesc Xavier Muñoz CSIC IMB-CNM (Centro Nacional de Microelectronica) Tel. +34 93 594 77 00 ext 1305 [email protected] http://www.cnm.es/imb/ 21

Electronics and ITC

Business software for local needs The resources of the IRC network are helping a small but internationally respected Italian company to adapt its specialised business software for foreign markets. In the latest step, experts in Greece are ensuring the software complies with Greek and Cypriot laws and practices. This agreement offers a lowrisk and very effective model for an SME to break out of its local market with a world-class product.

Most businesses rely on computer software tools to manage and record their activities, from daily transactions to long-term strategic planning. Software designed to cope with the range of specialised business needs in one package is known as an enterprise resource planning system (ERP). Microarea SpA, an Italian SME based in Genoa, is a European leader in this specialist field. They have developed a software suite for SMEs called Mago.NET, which is the first complete ERP system of its kind in Europe.

(Ref: TTT 1182) presentment and payment, which is one of the features that Microarea’s Mago.NET offers. This prompted Massimiliano Rainer, Microarea’s international sales manager, to contact Yannis Cobopoulos, the managing director of Omnis. The subsequent negotiations were assisted by IRC Alps in Italy and Hellenic IRC in Greece. The result is a partnership agreement in which Omnis is customising the Mago.NET software for the Greek and Cypriot market. The most obvious requirement of the customisation process is translation into the local language, but there are also many more complex aspects to be considered. The software must be adapted to meet local laws, taxation rules, business methods, standards and management procedures. Everything, in other words, that is necessary to generate a product that is precisely suited to each country’s market.

Mago.NET is structured into four key functional areas, focused on accounting, sales and purchases, logistics, and manufacturing. Each of these areas is subdivided into a variety of modules to manage specific aspects of the business, such as VAT accounting, invoicing, inventory valuations, planning and scheduling, etc.

Think local to go global In order to expand beyond the Italian market, into Europe and the rest of the world, the software must be adapted to meet the particular needs of each country it is to be used in. The TTT agreement described in this story achieves that aim for the Greek market, and is just one of several such agreements which Microarea is using to drive the distribution of its product throughout the world. The link with Greece began as a result of a technology request distributed across the IRC network on behalf of the Greek company Omnis SA. Omnis was looking for software to facilitate electronic bill

Success Story

Microarea’s Mago.NET software © Microarea

Working with experts Successful customisation depends on access to local skilled experts who are familiar with all the subtleties of market conditions and business operations in their national environment. It is difficult to find such expertise, but working with a locally-based partner makes it a much more realistic goal. The customisation for Greece requires eight new modules to be added to the Mago.NET suite. These allow customer details and data on transactions to be recorded and

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presented in the precise way that complies with the Greek taxation system. As the software is translated into a variety of languages, a growing dictionary can be developed for all users, making it easier for them to trade with other countries for which the customisation process has been completed. But with the core software remaining the same in all versions, adapting it for local circumstances remains as easy as is technically possible. Omnis and Microarea are working through the customisation in four phases. In phase 1 Omnis prepares detailed specifications explaining the adaptations required. Microarea analyses and evaluates these specifications in phase 2, so that the requirements are fully understood and agreed. Microarea then develops the software code required to meet the specifications. In the final phase the localised software is tested and, where necessary, further developed. Under the terms of the agreement, Omnis becomes the exclusive distributor of Mago.NET for Greece and Cyprus. So in addition to maintaining the technical aspects of the customisation, they will be selling and supporting the software in the Greek and Cypriot markets. Where necessary, the support can include training of personnel to use the software. “This support service is particularly appreciated by our customers, and will be lucrative for Omnis,” says Cobopoulos. He adds: “Actually, some of our customers consider these developments as almost ‘too good to be true’!” The agreement allows Omnis to sell and develop an excellent software product that would not be available to them working on their own. It has also given them a valuable opportunity to participate in further development of the product as it spreads throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Expanding with care For Microarea, the model of expansion through local partnerships offers the strategic benefit of being able to break into new foreign markets with minimal commercial risk. As an SME, they would find it very difficult to undertake such specialised

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customisation and wide-scale distribution without working in partnership with local experts. “This kind of agreement offers us the opportunity to become major players on the world stage,” comments Rainer. After beginning to look outwards from Italy four years ago, Microarea hopes that sales in foreign markets will soon expand to account for around 50% of their turnover. The agreement with their Greek partner is predicted to generate €500,000 in annual turnover by 2007, contributing to an expected steady increase in the percentage of turnover achieved outside of Italy. Microarea’s ambitions on the world stage are being boosted by strong interest from the software giant Microsoft. This dominant US company has selected Microarea as one of 20 international companies to assist in the development of the new Microsoft Business Framework. That exciting development comes at a time when Microarea is also forging new partnerships in China and elsewhere. Their Mago.NET product, suitably customised or incorporated within other packages, seems destined to play a big role in the field of ERP software for many years to come.

IRC contacts: Italy Angelo Peripimeno IRC Alps Chamber of Commerce of Genoa Tel. +39 010 2704 219 [email protected] Greece Constantine Karamanis IRC Hellenic National Documentation Center Tel. +30 210 727 3918 [email protected] Company contacts: Massimiliano Rainer Microarea SpA Tel. +39 010 60371 [email protected] Yannis Cobopoulos Omnis/ITSS SA Tel. +30 210 957 6695 [email protected]

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Energy

A light touch for energy savings One of the simplest acts promoting energy conservation is to switch off lights when not required, but there is a more subtle way to make considerable additional savings. A company in Spain has devised a reliable system to adjust the intensity of lighting to match varying requirements. After commercialising the system in Spain, they used the IRC network to find a partner interested in transferring the technology to the Greek market.

Reducing electricity consumption is one of the most pressing environmental needs of modern industrial economies. Innovations in this field have the potential to benefit everyone. Consuming less energy brings lower bills for the companies or government agencies which install new technologies. The environment benefits from the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions which results from increased efficiency in energy use. And, of course, a good business opportunity is presented to the companies manufacturing and selling energy-saving systems. These kinds of thoughts prompted the Spanish company Redeca to begin investigating the possibilities for making efficiency savings in public and private lighting installations. Redeca specialises in electrical energy-saving technology, and they realised that there are many hours during the night when lighting systems do not need to be as powerful as at peak times. Street lighting, for example, must operate at full power when the streets are full of vehicles and people, but can safely be much less powerful during the times when there is hardly anybody about.

Reducing power This insight stimulated Redeca to develop and patent an electro-mechanical powerreducing system. The device regulates the voltage supply on lamps, allowing the light intensity to be switched through a variety of pre-set levels in accordance with a timing schedule that the user programmes into the device. An alternative mode of operation is

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 1266) to allow a luminosity sensor incorporated within the device to maintain a set level of illumination as daylight fades in the evening and then returns in the morning. The most appropriate applications for the Redeca system are large-scale lighting installations. In addition to public streets, these include shopping centres, parking areas, large office complexes, harbours, airports, railway stations, factories and sports grounds. After programming to match the situation of each installation, the system has been shown to achieve up to 40% savings in electricity consumption while maintaining an appropriate level of lighting at all times. In 1993 the Redeca system became the first of its type to be registered and commercialised in Spain, and it obtained a Gold Medal at the1995 Brussels Exhibition.

One of Redeca’s power reducing systems. © Redeca

From Spain to Greece In 2003, Redeca decided to take advantage of the services of the IRC network to try to find foreign partners to market their system more widely. A few months later, their local IRC brought the technology to the attention of the Greek company Forum SA. Based in Thessaloniki, and with an office in Athens, Forum provides energy-saving solutions to industrial and commercial customers. Redeca and Forum have signed a ‘commercial agreement with technical

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assistance’. The agreement permits Forum to examine and test the Redeca system, and study its potential for commercial application in Greece. If the tests are successful the current arrangements could be extended into a formal licensing agreement allowing Forum to distribute the technology throughout the Greek market. Forum are also interested in the possibilities for adapting the technology to improve its usefulness in the specific environmental and commercial circumstances found in Greece. Redeca are supplying two types of their energy reducers for testing in Greece. The TR-2N model can be used for any kind of lamp, and offers an increase in lamp-life in addition to the energy savings. It includes a system to maintain lighting even if the normal electricity supply has failed. The TR2ND model has additional voltage-regulating capability to protect the lamps in the event of surges or other problems with the electrical supply. The reducers are contained within strong polyester cases and are designed for a long life in an outdoor environment. They are fully resistant to the effects of rain, wind and electrical storms. The installation of a complete system is very easy for any competent electrician and it can then be operated on an essentially maintenance-free basis. The technology has proved extremely reliable in its existing installations in Spain, allowing Redeca to offer a full five-year guarantee. During all of the time the technology has been used in Spain, there has not been a single registered breakdown event.

Wide-ranging opportunities “We hope this is the first step towards the European market,” says Emilio Aguiar López, manager of Redeca. “This could open the doors for us to other European countries which could also make great use of these reducers, and at the same time do something positive for the environment.” Dimitris Hatjipetrou, manager of Forum is hopeful of making significant penetration into the Greek market, commenting: “These energy conservation systems appear very

Success Story

commercially attractive due to the huge number of lighting installations in private and public areas.” Assuming the tests in Greece are successful, the potential commercial impact on both Redeca and Forum can be judged by the fact that there are more than 100,000 public lighting installations in Greece. At this stage, however, it is too early for the companies to discuss details of the precise impact this deal might have on their operations and profitability. Of course, public and commercial lighting systems are used all over the globe. Redeca is hopeful that this first transnational technology transfer agreement will be followed by others. The simple idea of adjusting lighting levels in a more sophisticated way than the on/off switch allows could ultimately lead to enormous commercial opportunities and energy savings worldwide.

IRC contacts: Spain Rosa Freire Corzo IRC Galactea Centro de Innovación y Servicios Tel. +34 981 337 146 [email protected] Greece Alexandra GIKA IRC Hellenic Metallurgical Industrial Research and Technological Development Centre SA Tel. +30 2109 961 408 [email protected] Company contacts: Emilio Aguiar López Redeca Tel. +34 982 585 470 [email protected] Dimitris Hatjipetrou Forum SA Tel. +30 2310 420 006 [email protected]

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Life sciences

Coming together for animal scans Biological and biomedical researchers are increasingly using specialised scanning technology to investigate physiological activity in small laboratory animals. The IRC network has helped a Belgian and an Italian company to adapt their two different technologies to offer customers the advantages of both. The companies expect to capture a significant share of a fast-growing market.

Scanning instruments, such as computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, have become a familiar part of medical technology. Most of us have seen images from such instruments, and undergoing some kind of scan is now a routine part of many medical procedures. It is less well known, however, that various scanning techniques play a major role in laboratory research on small animals. This research can reveal important new information about mammalian physiology and biochemistry, which in turn can be used to develop new knowledge and procedures applicable to humans. Two important European players in the field of small animal scanning are Skyscan, of Aartselaar in Belgium, and ISE of Pisa, Italy. Skyscan has an established micro-computer tomography scanning system (micro-CT), which uses X-rays combined with complex computer-based analysis to generate images of the interior of living animals. ISE has a similarly well-established scanning technology based on detecting gamma ray emissions from radioactive substances injected into the animals being studied. The ISE system is called YAP-(S)PET because it uses crystalline Yttrium Aluminium Perovskite (YAP) as the basis of its gamma ray detector system, and can perform emission tomography (ET) both with positron-emitting (PET) and with singlephoton-emitting (SPET) radioisotopes.

Finding each other Skyscan and ISE became aware of each other’s technology as a result of contacts with their local Innovation Relay Centres – IRC Flanders in Belgium and IRC Recital in

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 1278) Italy. This stimulated mutual interest in combining the two different technologies to create new and more versatile methods for scanning small laboratory animals such as mice and rats. The micro-CT scans provide the best information about the structure of the animal tissues, while the YAP-(S)PET scans provide good functional data about the physiological and biochemical processes within the tissues. Combining the data from both types of scan allows researchers to locate specific functional processes accurately inside the living bodies. This yields improved information about what is going on inside the animals being studied.

Scan of a mouse during a study of bone metabolism. © ISE

One seemingly trivial but actually crucial challenge when imaging the anaesthetised laboratory animals is the need to keep the animals properly positioned within the scanning machines. Skyscan achieves this using a special ‘animal bed’ system. The Skyscan animal bed has been adapted for use in ISE’s YAP-(S)PET scanner, as a first step towards combining the advantages of both the micro-CT and YAP-(S)PET systems. The adaptation involved some redesign of the mechanical parts. Using the same animal bed with both systems allows the same animal to be scanned with both microCT and YAP-(S)PET, in a way that permits

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the data obtained to be properly correlated and compared.

Satisfying a growing market The collaboration between Skyscan and ISE currently takes the form of a technical cooperation agreement, and each company has the right to promote the other company’s products to their potential customers and business partners. The commercial advantage for each company is that they can now offer their customers the combined and correlated scanning procedure, which they refer to as PET/SPECT/CT scanning. The demand for this combined type of analysis is currently growing dramatically, so the agreement is allowing the companies to respond to a significant change in the market they operate in. Both companies are offering entry-level systems in addition to more sophisticated versions. The entry-level option should be attractive to smaller research groups in universities and other research organisations. This may allow the scientific and commercial advantages of the technology to be spread among a wider group of customers. Before starting this technology transfer, each of the companies had noticed the rising demand for the combined scanning technology, but the effort and investment to go it alone was prohibitive. By working together, each obtains a marketable solution quickly and with much less investment of time and money. The market for this type of scanning equipment has until now been dominated by technologies and products developed in the USA. The unrivalled multi-mode capability achieved by this new co-operation between Skyscan and ISE will, they hope, boost market penetration by these European companies in the near future. Skyscan has already installed approximately 150 microCT instruments around the world. ISE presented its new YAP-(S)PET scanner at a major international medical imaging congress in Rome in October 2004, and intends to become a global player with a product and technology developed entirely in Europe.

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A further option A longer term aim is to work together to develop a single scanning system combining both companies’ technologies. This would maximise the commercial benefits for both partners, but it would require a high level of investment and more elaborate co-operation agreements. This more comprehensive solution to the growing market’s requirements may be pursued if the success achieved from the current agreement justifies that next step. “The level of complementarity among our technologies is complete,” says Andrea Cremoncini, marketing manager at ISE. “We are already receiving a significant benefit from this co-operation. I see a tremendous potential for both companies, because there is presently no equivalent multi-mode capability on the market”. Alexander Sasov, chief executive of Skyscan, is similarly enthusiastic. He comments: “Our co-operation with ISE is an important first step to a partnership, where combining our technologies with minimum mutual efforts can expand application areas and create benefit for the customers in a very short timeframe.”

IRC contacts: Belgium François Stassijns IRC Flanders Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders Tel. +32 2 209 0950 [email protected] Italy Susanna Chericoni IRC Recital Consorzio Pisa Ricerche Tel. +39 050 972 369 [email protected] Company contacts: Alexander Sasov Skyscan Tel. +32 3 877 5705 [email protected] Andrea Cremoncini ISE Tel. +39 050 804 343 [email protected]

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Environment

Cleaner water flows from Norway A patented Norwegian water filtration system is now available for installation across the UK, and further afield, thanks to a new partnership forged by the IRC network. The compact technology occupies one-tenth of the space of the sedimentation systems it will replace. It also brings cost savings and reductions in unpleasant odours. The companies, their clients and the environment can all win as the innovative filter spreads across Europe.

Removing unwanted materials from water is one of the most vital technological processes of civilisation. We need clean water for drinking, washing and industrial manufacture, and we must treat domestic and industrial wastewater before it returns to rivers, lakes and the sea. The origins of water-treatment technology are ancient, but it is an ever-advancing field, with continual demand for more efficient and cost-effective methods.

(Ref: TTT 1284) The filtration specifications that can be achieved by the Norwegian firm’s technology are very high, removing solid particles down to the 15-30 micron range. An efficient ‘sludge dewatering system’ recovers water from the sludge that is initially gathered, ensuring that the final output sludge is between 25% and 35% dry matter. This significantly reduces the volume of solid waste to be disposed of, compared to competing methods. The dewatering system is also useful for the recovery and recycling of raw materials within industrial wastewater. An additional advantage can be a reduction in unpleasant odours released at the treatment plant, because the sludge is removed before microbial digestion processes that generate the odours get underway.

Filtration innovation Salsnes Filter of Norway has developed a new patented filtration technology designed principally for the treatment of wastewater – either municipal sewage or industrial effluent. The system is highly efficient and can cut treatment costs by half. It is also extremely compact, occupying only onetenth of the space of more conventional alternatives based on sedimentation. The technology is based on use of a fine polyester filter screen which can be adapted to many different applications by changing the mesh size. One of its greatest advantages is that it incorporates a continuous self-cleaning procedure for the filter, based on a patented air-blowing system. This is a significant step forward compared to traditional filtering methods, which either have to be batch processes, wasting time and labour, or must involve regular stages of cleaning the filter with water.

Success Story

A primary treatment plant demonstrates the low visual impact on the environment. © Salsnes Filter

The partner search Over recent years, the Salsnes Filter technology has been adopted in several countries worldwide, including the USA, Canada, South Africa and Taiwan. But early in 2003 the firm was keen to find new partners to help extend its use, especially across Europe. “We approached IRC Norway to help with our search for partners, and very quickly received many good contacts,” explains Jo

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Terje Lestum, of Salsnes Filter. One of these leads through IRC East of England has now led to a firm agreement with Vexamus Water, of the United Kingdom. There is scope for selling the water treatment systems in the UK because many municipal wastewater plants are overloaded, a range of industries which need wastewater-treatment systems are flourishing, and space for the physical expansion of existing treatment systems is often very limited. With many reasons for being enthusiastic about signing up a UK partner, Lestum soon organised a visit to Vexamus Water, and that initial contact was quickly reciprocated in a visit by Vexamus staff to some of Salsnes Filter’s existing installations in Norway. “The visit to Norway was the crucial step, when both sides became very committed to taking collaboration forward,” says Lestum.

The UK and beyond Vexamus Water is now working with Salsnes Filter to sell and install the equipment throughout the UK market. The agreement includes a signifcant training element, in which Vexamus staff will spend time in Norway learning everything about how the system is built, operated and maintained. Vexamus Water has a large and wellestablished customer base in the UK and a modern design centre for its own systems. The company has also recently become part of the large Hydro-International Group. “The addition of the Salsnes Filter technology keeps us ahead of the game in offering the latest technology,” says Steve Tansley, operations director of Vexamus Water. Vexamus Water has already delivered one of the Salsnes Filter units to a UK customer, and they now hope to build its penetration into the market quite steadily. They expect the most immediate impact will be in the industrial sector, which tends to adopt innovative technology quite quickly. The municipal wastewater sector is slower moving, and dependent on government

Success Story

funding and political priorities, but it does contain clear need for expansion and modernisation which Vexamus Water hope to become involved in eventually. The tenfold increase in the efficient use of space offers a major advantage for upgrading overloaded municipal plants. Wastewater treatment plants are generally regarded as eyesores rather than architectural delights, so technology that keeps them as small as possible should be popular with planners and the public. As happens in many of the best partnerships, this one opens up more possibilities than the specific deal that first brought the partners together. For example, Lestum is pleased that Salsnes Filter is now able to tap into the good network of contacts that Vexamus Water has around the world. He reports that this has already led to possible new business opportunities in Italy. On the other side of the coin, Tansley of Vexamus Water is interested in exploring reciprocal agreements with Salsnes Filter, in which they might work with some of Vexamus’s own technology within Norway. These wider possibilities are in their early days, but they demonstrate how a first successful contact between companies can soon develop into a deeper and more profitable alliance.

IRC contacts: Norway Terje Bakken IRC Norway Tel. +47 73 59 30 00 [email protected] United Kingdom David Reynolds IRC East of England Tel. +44 1223 422 220 [email protected] Company contacts: Jo Terje Lestum Salsnes Filter AS Tel. +47 74 27 48 60 [email protected] Steve Tansley Vexamus Water Tel. +44 1353 645 761 [email protected]

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Energy

Hot interest in Irish boreholes A partnership between two European companies looks set to tap into one of Ireland’s forgotten energy sources. Following a deal negotiated with the help of their local Innovation Relay Centres, the firms are collaborating to exploit the latent heat trapped deep below Ireland’s lush green fields. They hope that solutions developed for Ireland could make geothermal energy a major player in the world’s dash for renewable energy sources.

Ireland’s rain-swept hills and fields may seem an unlikely setting for a project to tap into the latent heat trapped beneath the ground. But Viv Byrne from Dublin-based geological mapping company CSA is an optimist. “If we can make it work here, we can make it work anywhere,” he says. Others have tried and failed. Byrne says they just did not try hard enough. Or, “to be fair, the science was not quite right, and the technology was not fully developed”.

(Ref: TTT 1301) eventually starts to get hotter. The trick is, to find places with a high temperature gradient so you do not have to drill too deep. Shallow drill holes mean it is much less expensive to extract the heat – making the economics of geothermal energy more attractive. Looking for geothermal hot spots can be as tricky as searching for minerals and precious metals. In fact, the data that previously seemed to rule out Ireland’s potential for geothermal energy, was mainly gathered by geologists looking for oil or gas. CSA took a new look at this information, and went around the country searching for mines and abandoned drill shafts – used in the hunt for minerals or precious metals – where they could make their own measurements. “We concluded that the previous data had been distorted by cooler, shallower ground water mixing with warmer water from deeper down. In fact, using current technology, many areas are suitable for geothermal projects,” says Byrne.

Now Byrne is convinced that a partnership between his mapping company and German geothermal technology experts aix-o-therm GeoEnergy could help realise the dream of using the earth’s own heat to dramatically cut energy costs in homes and offices. The potential for geothermal energy is obvious in places like America’s Yellowstone Park, where jets of scalding mud amuse the tourists, or in Iceland’s hot springs. And it is still true that some areas are better than others when it comes to geothermal energy. What Byrne’s company set out to prove was that the right combination of mapping knowhow and geothermal technology could make the figures add up in many more places than previously believed.

Ireland a ‘blank’ Take their home territory, for example. “On the European geothermal energy map, Ireland was just a big blank spot. We decided to take a new look at the data,” he says. Just about everywhere in the world, as you drill down towards the earth’s core, it

Success Story

Drilling starts on a project to tap the earth’s latent heat. © CProjektgruppe SuperC Geotherm

The right partner Having identified the right places for geothermal energy, CSA needed a partner to deliver the right technological solution to suit the size and scale of project likely to be thrown up in Ireland. German-based aix-o-therm GeoEnergy designs and constructs geothermal power plants with a capacity of between 350 and

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10,000 kW for heating offices and residential buildings larger than 4,000 m2. The company is the initiator of a demonstration project in Aachen where a 2.5 km deep borehole has been drilled to supply one of the local university buildings. Using a heat exchanger, the project will supply up to 80% of the heating and cooling energy needed for the building. For aix-o-therm, the technology cooperation agreement brokered by IRC North Rhine-Westphalia and IRC Ireland was an ideal combination of skills. With geothermal projects, it is as important to know ‘where’ to set them up, as it is to know ‘how’ to extract the energy. aix-o-therm’s chairman Dr. Roland Gaschnitz says: “With the help of CSA we are being introduced to a lucrative export market while at the same time the know-how gained will also help our national business.” The German company hopes the transnational technology transfer (TTT) deal will increase turnover and contribute to securing jobs. Together, the two SMEs plan to offer a more comprehensive range of services to third parties, in places like Northern Ireland and Hungary.

Attractive economics Driving these developments is the increasing awareness worldwide of the importance of reducing dependence on conventional fuel sources. Both companies believe that the potential for geothermal energy as a renewable energy resource is underexploited. Combining it with other renewable sources such as wind, wave, solar and biomass, could both cut CO2 emissions and reduce energy imports. The economics of medium-depth geothermal projects can be quite attractive. The current thinking is that for a small housing estate or business park, the capital cost for a district heating system could be around double that of a conventional system, with a payback period of around 7-10 years. Typically, cold water is pumped down a borehole and returns to the surface heated to a temperature of between 70º-80º C. Electrical energy is only needed to pump the water, and for the heat-exchange technology. CSA says that for every kilowatt

of electrical energy used you can get 3-4 kW back in heat energy.

The next step CSA now has a list of Irish geothermal hotspots that are ripe for potential exploitation. But it expects developments to start slowly. They hope to have an Irish demonstration project up and running inside a couple of years. In the meantime they are preparing a number of development models, for a small housing estate, a business park, and an urban development with houses and shops. Byrne is confident that changes in planning policy will encourage Irish developers to take into account the potential for using renewable energy, and site projects where geothermal energy can make a contribution. This package of mapping viable locations, and offering complete technological solutions providing a solid long-term financial return, is essential to the development of geothermal resources both in Ireland and in many other countries. “A history of so-called ‘failed’ geothermal projects in the 1980s still colours some people’s perceptions. We have got to change people’s thinking. The technology is now there to make this work, and it is improving all the time,” says Byrne. IRC contacts: Germany Sabrina Wodrich IRC North Rhine-Westphalia Tel. +49 208 30004 44 [email protected] Ireland Leon Agnew IRC Ireland Tel. +353 61 40069 [email protected] Company contacts: Dr Roland Gaschnitz aix-o-therm GeoEnergy Tel. +49 241 40 17 865 [email protected] Viv Byrne CSA Group Tel. +353 1 296 4667 [email protected]

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Success Story

Environment

Bubble technology that is cleaning up A patented environmental technology that cleans using tiny bubbles is helping Hungarian firm, Multiprojekt, expand into new markets in the food industry. The company has teamed up with the system’s German developer, Enviplan, thanks to contacts made through the Innovation Relay Centre network.

It all started with a bottle of flat champagne. Roland Damann, from Enviplan, was unhappy with the ‘pop’ when he pulled the cork at a special celebration dinner. “We started talking about how difficult it was to keep the bubbles, and another guy said he had a customer who was desperately trying to inject bubbles into wine,” remembers Damann. Enviplan got to work on a solution involving injecting gas into liquids in a pressurised vessel. He says they were fascinated by the tiny bubbles that were produced – just 30 to 50 microns in diameter, or one-third of the width of a human hair.

(Ref: TTT 1306)

EU Member State, environmental protection in Hungary is moving rapidly up the agenda in industry,” says Peto. “Industrial waste producers want to pay fewer fines and would rather invest in waste protection facilities. This is offering us opportunities to win business in new areas and may create a number of new jobs for graduates and technicians.” After being put in contact at a partnering event in Budapest organised by IRC Hungary, the companies had further talks and jointly worked on a ‘technology book’ containing all the information necessary to understand and represent the system in Hungary. So far the firms have signed a co-operation agreement and have gone through a process of evaluation and analysis of the Germandesigned system, with the support, on Enviplan’s side, of IRC North RhineWestphalia, as well as IRC Hungary.

First applications of the technology included putting more sparkle into sparkling wines and mineral waters, but Enviplan soon found it had many other uses. When injected into a liquid containing suspended particles, the bubbles stick to them and lift the particles to the surface. In effect, the bubbles act like a very efficient filter, but there is nothing to clog or block.

Microflotation This led them to develop the Aquatector microflotation system as a chemical-free method of removing phosphor and algae from lakes, reservoirs and rivers that are using for bathing, or as sources of drinking water. Multiprojekt, based in Budaörs, is one of the leading Hungarian companies specialising in wastewater treatment. Managing director Dr Lajos Peto says that when the companies got together, they were very interested in the potential of the Aquatector system in industrial wastewater treatment. “As a new

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Particles cling to a micro bubble. © Enviplan

Future challenges Multiprojekt says this exchange of knowledge has been very useful in preparing them for future challenges. As a next stage it is hoped that they will reach an agreement to manufacture and sell the Aquatector under licence in Hungary. With new EU regulations to improve the safe use of chemicals on the horizon, the

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company says work on the project is strengthening their expertise and generating potential employment prospects for them in laboratory analysis and testing of businesses. “The microflotation technology represents a possibility for broadening our potential market. It can answer the challenges of technology, planning and performance in the dairy industry, abattoirs, food production, paper and in removing oil and grease contaminants,” says Peto. Meanwhile Enviplan says they are finding more and more applications for the technology that was originally developed for fizzy beverages. “Our first customer needed to inject carbon dioxide into his wine in order to create a new sparkling wine product. That was one of our funniest installations because we had keep testing the product!” remembers Damann. Critically, the company discovered that the best way to produce fine bubbles was to inject water first through a nozzle and then inject the gas afterwards in a continuous process. Without the water phase, a very high proportion of the gas was lost. Enviplan says the process not only guarantees 100 per cent absorption of expensive gases, but also creates the micro-bubbles that later proved to have such useful qualities in environmental applications.

‘Sticky’ bubbles The Aquatector Microfloat system has now been around in various forms since 1985. The dense, homogeneous micro-bubbles have a very high surface tension and electrostatic attraction, that makes settled matter, such as particles and other contaminants, stick to them. Generated at an operational pressure of between two and four bar, Enviplan says the bubbles filter off almost 100 per cent of settled matter, and lift it gently to the surface at a speed of around 1 mm per second. Once there, the bubbles, with attached waste material, can be easily removed and the clear water pumped back.

“We are expanding into water treatment of lakes and reservoirs. Using Aquatector we siphon the water from the upper sediment layer, where most of the phosphor that feeds algae is stored. This is pumped into a containerised system where the microflotation process removes the phosphor and algae,” says Damann. Enviplan says that most rival solutions use chemicals to remove or neutralise the Phosphor, which has obvious disadvantages if water is to be used for drinking or swimming. “It is a niche technology, but in two or three years we have had a real increase in the number of customers and are now using this technique to protect the Rhine in the final clarification stage after sewage treatment,” he adds. From Multiprojekt’s point of view, the IRCbrokered agreement with Enviplan is opening up a range of wider technology transfer possibilities, including sewage treatment plants for smaller municipalities and Biomass plants for the production of gas. “The co-operation is still at an early stage, but it is helping us to prepare for many future opportunities and the potential is clearly there,” says Peto.

IRC contacts: Germany Sabina Wodrich IRC North Rhine-Westphalia Tel. +49 208 30004 44 [email protected]

Hungary Ms Ilona Buzas IRC Hungary Tel. +36 1 457 5364 [email protected] Company contacts: Roland Damann Enviplan Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH Tel. +49 529 29869 12 [email protected] Dr Lajos Peto Multiprojekt Kft. Tel. +36-23-416-762 [email protected]

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Success Story

Industrial technology

Award-winning vision The Spanish-based multinational Chupa Chups used the IRC network to find X-ray scanning technology needed to perform a key quality control test. The innovation was needed to meet the strict demands of the Japanese market. The IRCs identified Italian SME Raytec Vision, as a suitable technology provider. The deal helps both European companies penetrate a difficult foreign market, and gives Raytec Vision new possibilities for the future.

As European companies operate in the international arena, they must adapt to the differing regulations and standards of each region. This presented a problem in the Japanese market for the Spanish-based multinational Chupa Chups, which sells its distinctive range of lollipops all over the world. The solution was provided by an Italian SME, Raytec Vision, in a story of IRC success that was officially recognised at the 2005 IRC Network Awards. At this event in Brussels in June, Raytec Vision and Chupa Chups received the prize for the year’s most successful industrial technology transfer.

(Ref: TTT 1354) brokerage event Ricardo Pons met representatives of the Italian SME Raytec Vision. This company specialises in using Xrays to check food products for the presence of foreign bodies or conformity to standards. With the assistance of the Spanish IRCs and IRC ALPS in Italy, the multinational and the SME began to collaborate to solve Chupa Chups’ problem. The requirements of Chupa Chups presented challenges that Raytec Vision had not encountered before. But the company is used to that situation, because it generally provides a customised solution for each customer’s application. It undertook research into the effects of the gas bubbles on X-rays, hoping to develop an appropriate analysis process to detect the bubbled candy. Another technical issue is that the lollipops must be held in a precise way while passing through the X-ray beam, so there were also mechanical handling issues to consider.

Bursting the bubbles Bubbles were the problem. During lollipop manufacture some of the candy develops internal air bubbles as it cools and solidifies. For most markets, this is perfectly acceptable, but Japan has unusually strict standards to prohibit candy with air bubbles. “The concern is the possibility of consumers cutting their tongues on bubble edges, so we had to find a way to detect and reject any lollipops with bubbles,” explains Ricardo Pons, technical manager at Chupa Chups. Up until now the company has had to rely on time-consuming visual inspection by production-line staff, in order to select the lollipops for sale in Japan. The search for a better solution took Chupa Chups to their local IRC, with a request for assistance. In response to this approach, IRC GALACTEA arranged for Chupa Chups to participate in an agrofood brokerage event organised by IRC CENEMES. At the

Success Story

Chupa Chups lollipops being scanned by the prototype system. © Chupa Chups

Working with sample lollipops, Raytec Vision was eventually able to demonstrate that an X-ray system would indeed be able to detect the internal bubbles causing the problems in the Japanese market. A key aspect of the technology is the intelligent software Raytec Vision has developed in order to analyse the X-ray images of the lollipops. In addition to surmounting the challenge of air bubbles, the X-rays can also be used to detect

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cracked or broken lollipops and foreign material such as metals and other solids.

Getting up to speed Having solved the basic technical issue of bubble detection, some difficulties were presented by the high speed at which the Chupa Chups production line works. The line produces more than 2,000 lollipops per minute, and the new system must be able to detect and reject bubbled lollipops from the production line without interfering with the steady output of product. The companies are now working together with Chupa Chups’ own engineering company to perfect the operation of the system at high flow rates. The on-site development phase has also had to address a range of technical issues such as the width of the X-ray scanning window and avoiding problems caused by sugar dust in the factory setting. In this continuing development work, Raytec Vision is concentrating on refining the software, while the engineering aspects are being developed at the Chupa Chups site in Spain. “I am happy with the way this new system is developing,” says Pons, “and it is certainly going to allow us to solve the problem.” He emphasises, however, that this is still a project that is being refined and developed, and that they are learning as they proceed.

Crucial assistance A particular challenge for Raytec Vision in reaching this agreement was the unusual situation for them, as a small Italian SME, of negotiating a deal with a very large foreign multinational. “The help from the IRC was absolutely crucial with this,” says Maria Luisa Piatti, of Raytec Vision. “We are very happy that it is allowing us to work with such a great group as Chupa Chups.” Raytec Vision has gained a valuable new customer and made a new leap into the international market, but the story of success should not stop here. Piatti is hopeful that the system currently being developed in Spain will also eventually be transferred to other locations around the world, within the Chupa Chups group. She

Success Story

also hopes that, having demonstrated that X-rays can be used to detect air bubbles, defects and foreign material in a food product, it might be possible to adapt the basic technique to meet the requirements of other companies. The publicity that comes with winning an IRC Transnational Technology Transfer Award can only help in these efforts to gain additional benefit from the considerable research and development effort that was involved. Chupa Chups are happy that they have gained access to new technology to operate a key quality control step with greater speed and efficiency. Pons says that he would definitely approach the IRC again if another problem arises that might need outside expertise. The IRC network mostly specialises in assisting SMEs, but it is useful to be reminded by this that bigger players in the global market may also use the IRC network to find innovative solutions to specific problems.

IRC contacts: Spain Elena Suárez IRC GALACTEA FICYT Tel. +34 985207434 [email protected] Esteban Pelayo IRC CEMEMES Instituto de Fomento Región de Murcia Tel. +34 968 366849 [email protected] Italy Marta Serrano IRC ALPS Centro Estero Camere Commercio Piemontesi Tel. +39 011 6700 621 [email protected] Company contacts: Ricardo Pons Chupa Chups Tel. +34 93 771 58 40 Ext 511 [email protected] Maria Luisa Piatti Raytec Vision Tel. +39 011 659 7004 [email protected]

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Electronics and ICT

Unlocking the secrets of life Two small companies have formed an alliance to help bring affordable ‘supercomputing’ to biotech researchers trying to discover more about the building blocks of life. The IRC network brokered the deal between Aethia, an Italian company specialising in parallel computing for scientific applications, and NorayBio, a Spanish firm providing IT support to the biotechnology sector.

The problem with biotechnology research is no longer the lack of information available. In fact, the sheer volume of research results, scattered over numerous databases, is one of the most daunting factors in this sector. Aethia in Italy specialises in parallel computing, a method of linking several standard computers together to produce a combined power that rivals very expensive supercomputers. Early applications of the technology showed a lot of promise for biotechnology research. NorayBio in Bilbao develops new bioinformatic tools for the acquisition, analysis and management of information generated by the biosciences. Its main strength is in creating applications which meet the needs of researchers.

(Ref: TTT 1357) Aethia’s application, called PowerBLAST, divides each single search into subsearches, reducing the computing time involved for each investigation. With the support of Bioindustry Park, a Technology Park in the Province of Torino, which has signed a co-operation agreement with IRC ALPS of Turin, the company published a technology offer that was promoted at an IRC-organised brokerage event in Hanover during Biotechnica in September 2004. Aethia was looking for an industrial, technological or marketing agreement, in order to develop the product. For its part, NorayBio, alerted to the opportunity by the Basque IRC, saw potential applications for the Italian company’s expertise in parallel computing in helping to solve a wide range of problems in life science research. Marta Acilu from NorayBio says: “The idea was that we could implement this parallel computing technology in our products that have been developed for normal computers, and perhaps create new applications that would not otherwise be possible.”

Dr Gianpaolo Perego from Aethia explains: “The expertise of the two companies is complementary. NorayBio develops the tools to solve specific problems for researchers in the life sciences. Aethia comes from a highperformance computing background. Together we can build solutions capable of processing the huge amount of data now involved in this kind of research.”

Biological sequences Before the two SMEs met, Aethia had already developed a parallel computing version of BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool), a software application developed in the US that is used to find similarities between biological sequences such as protein and DNA.

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Bovine Rhodopsin, a protein found in the eye.

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Co-operation agreement Having been introduced to each other through the IRC network, the two SMEs kept in touch, and finally signed a co-operation agreement which includes reciprocal transfer of the technologies owned by the two companies (so the agreement is not limited to the transfer of the PowerBLAST technology). They will also co-operate on reciprocal marketing of their technologies, with the aim of strengthening market opportunities, and work together to participate jointly in EU-funded R&D projects. The co-operation between the two firms was reinforced by a seminar on bioinformatics organised by IRC ALPS in December 2004 to which both companies were invited in order to present their technologies and their reciprocal agreement. Chiara Soffietti from IRC ALPS says the seminar underlined the importance of the IRC network and the value of co-operation with local institutions in order to reach the highest number of companies and achieve more results in terms of technology transfers. The two companies have already realised the first fruits of their co-operation, with the development of the WebAnts on-line service for searching for information about proteins. Why are researchers in life sciences so interested in proteins? Ever since the mystery of the human genome sequence was unlocked, spelling out all 3 billion DNA letters that comprise the complete set of human genes, scientists have been battling with the ever growing problem of what it all means. Proteins are a major part of the answer as each gene produces a protein, many of which still have mysterious functions. Understanding what proteins do provides valuable information for understanding human health, predicting disease and designing new drugs. Proteins that are similar to each other often have similar functions, hence the interest in

exhaustive searches through the existing databases. WebAnts automatically queries around 20 of the most important biological databases distributed across the world and collects information concerning the protein selected. It compiles a web report, including names, functions, structure, and literature references in an easy-to-consult output card. This is just the start of a research process, but with WebAnts it can take as little as 20 seconds compared with up to half an hour if the databases were queried manually in turn. For the future, Perego says they are looking towards many different applications, including molecular modelling, to discover active compounds that can be used in the design of new drugs. Acilu says: “Thanks to the IRC network, two small companies are joining forces in a technology and commercial partnership that will allow us to have a much bigger impact together than we could ever have had individually.” IRC contacts:

Italy Chiara Soffietti IRC ALPS Tel. +39 011 5716 322 [email protected] Spain Javier Gabilondo IRC Basque Region Tel. +34 94 403 7034/30/00 [email protected] Company contacts:

Gianpaolo Perego Aethia Tel. +39 0125 538 824 [email protected] Marta Acilu NorayBio Tel. +34 94 4036 998 [email protected] 37

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Life sciences

New treatment battles transplant rejection Groundbreaking medical research developed by a Dutch university is being transformed into a commercial drug to help transplant patients, thanks to a deal with pharmaceutical company, Henogen. The Belgian firm acquired ImmunoToko, the university spin-off company behind the development, after being put in contact by the IRC network. When Dr Ypke van Oosterhout from the Radboud University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands finished the first clinical trial of a new drug designed to help patients combat transplant rejections, it should have been a time for celebration. The initial results indicated that a revolutionary immunotoxin treatment held out the promise of an effective cure for a rare condition called Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), in which the transplanted organ rejects its new host. The only problem was, there was no money available to carry the research through the process of further clinical trials, developing commercial manufacturing, and passing the stiff regulatory hurdles facing any new drug. “It could take up to seven years and would need a lot of funding. The university congratulated us on doing a nice job and proving the potential, but said they were not able to take the commercial risk,” says van Oosterhout.

(Ref: TTT 1430)

biopharmaceutical products in the transplantation area,” says Argentin. As a result of a follow-up to the initial contacts organised by IRC Netherlands and IRC Wallonia, the two organisations did a deal in which Henogen acquired ImmunoToko, with van Oosterhout staying in place as general manager. The deal maintains a relationship with the university medical centre, which is due to take part in further clinical trials. Van Oosterhout says that using the network allowed them to reach out beyond the obvious companies. “We did not know that Henogen were interested in starting up their own line of products. They were one of the few partners that found us instead of us finding them, and that is thanks to the IRC.” ImmunoToko’s research is in a complex area of biotechnology dealing with the immune system’s response to coming into contact with what it interprets as ‘foreign’ cells. In a normal healthy human being, the T-cells in the immune system target and destroy interlopers – usually the bacteria or viruses that cause disease. On some occasions, though, these Tcells might become over-reactive or misdirected, resulting in them causing serious damage to healthy tissue as well.

It was an understandable reaction, given the uncertain and long-winded process of bringing a new drug to market, but in the belief that the research had real possibilities he and his colleagues set up a spin-off firm, ImmunoToko. They used IRC Netherlands to publish a technology offer, in the hope of attracting financing or a commercial partner.

Biotech expansion In Belgium, Didier Argentin at the pharmaceutical company Henogen was immediately attracted by ImmunoToko’s research, when his contact at IRC Wallonia showed him the technology offer. “It is fair to say that without the IRC network we might never have got together, as there has been an exponential expansion of biotechnology with new set-ups and university spin-offs emerging. For us the key-word was ‘transplantation’, as we are a product development company aiming at establishing its own line of

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Researching new treatments. One such example of possible unwanted T-cell reactivity is in blood-stem-cell transplants. Transplantation of donor blood stem cells, formerly known as bone-marrow transplantation, is a widely accepted method of restoring the blood-forming system in patients treated for certain types of cancer of the blood, metabolic diseases and immunological disorders. Along with these stem cells,

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collected from bone marrow or circulating blood, come some of the donor’s T-cells. Since the donated T-cells do not recognise their host, they go on the attack, causing the transplanted cells to reject their new environment and triggering GVHD. Existing therapies, such as high dose corticosteroids, control GVHD by targeting the entire immune system. The disadvantage of such treatments is that the immune system can be shut down for long periods, leaving the body open to attack from disease. What is more, a large number of patients simply do not respond adequately to any of the treatment options currently available, resulting in a fatal outcome of the GVHD.

Immune system shuts down Immunotoxins are created by attaching ricin, or other plant or bacterial toxins, to antibodies, which target very specific parts of the human body – in this case cells in the immune system – and poisoning them. Ricin has attracted notoriety as a result of its implication in terrorist attacks. ImmunoToko’s treatment uses a milder version of the toxin, known as ricin-A and attaches it to two monoclonal antibodies instead of the normal one. The company says the system is very effective in killing just the T-cells and not all the cells in the immune system. In addition the toxin is flushed out of the body much more quickly. After just two days the transplanted stem cells start to produce new T-cells that are acclimatised to the host, and the immune system rebuilds. The original clinical trials took place on seven patients who were already extremely ill and had little hope of survival. The main purpose of this study was to test the safety and pharmacology, especially whether or not vascular leakage syndrome would occur, a known complication of ricin-based immunotoxins. It was accepted by all concerned that the clinical benefit for the participants would probably be limited. In fact, ImmunoToko says that all of those patients who received a full course of treatment lived longer than could be expected, and one of them is still alive four years after the therapy. None of the patients had any severe toxic side effects, and all showed a rapid and effective elimination of T-cells and a resolution of active GVHD. Given the milder side-effects demonstrated, van Oosterhout is interested in the potential for developing a treatment for autoimmune problems such as Crohn’s Disease and

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Rheumatoid Arthritis in which T-cells are also implicated. There may also be possible applications in treating rejection in kidney and liver transplants.

Partnership “None of these developments would be possible without some kind of partnership. We were initially interested in a financial injection, but it has probably worked out better that we were acquired by a company with all the expertise for production in-house, and which is working actively to take us forward,” says van Oosterhout. ImmunoToko is currently preparing for the next round of clinical trials involving four academic medical centres in the Netherlands (Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam and Utrecht). If successful, these trials will be followed by further tests involving up to 500 patients. Only then will the application process for the commercial production of the medicine begin. Henogen says that as a company they manufacture drugs, produce biotherapeutics for clients and develop new biotherapeutics on their own behalf, including recombinant proteins, viral vectors, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Henogen’s chief executive Dr Alex Bollen says: “The acquisition of ImmunoToko is playing a significant role in strengthening our expertise and promises to result in an exciting range of life-saving new treatments.” IRC contacts: Netherlands Leontien Verkaik IRC Netherlands Tel. +31 70 373 52 71 [email protected] Belgium Jean-Claude Disneur IRC Wallonia Tel. +32 81 33 55 50 [email protected] Company contacts: Dr Ypke van Oosterhout ImmunoToko B.V. Tel. +31-24/352 88 19 [email protected] Didier Argentin Henogen S.A. Tel. +32 71 378 799 [email protected]

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Life sciences

Banking on cells to share A team of Spanish cell biologists has acquired the knowledge and experience needed to set up a quality-controlled cell bank to store a wide variety of cell lines for many research groups. With IRC help, the Spanish ‘EUcellbank’ service has been used as a model to create a similar service in Poland. These initiatives are making it easier for researchers to store and share their cells, giving a stimulus to cell biology research.

The basic unit of life is the living cell, and there are many types of cells (or ‘cell lines’), each with their own specialised structures and activities. Scientists investigating living systems in both health and disease use cells as their basic model system, to investigate how the cells work and how drugs and other chemicals interact with them. There are several large cell banks around the world, in which different types of cells are stored. A few years ago, however, Manuel Reina, Associate Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Barcelona, realised that there was a lack of small cell banks to store and share the cells of interest to specific groups of researchers.

(Ref: TTT 1440) we can share the cells with anyone else who needs them.” The Spanish team also had to devise a formal quality control system to make sure that the cells were kept in optimum conditions and were properly catalogued. After checks to ensure they are free of microbial contamination, the cells are stored frozen at -192°C in liquid nitrogen tanks. From its small-scale start, the cell bank has continued to grow until it now holds a large variety of cell lines from researchers across Europe and throughout the world.

Poland steps in In order to help other people develop similar cell banks, Reina worked with IRC Catalonia to offer the technology through the IRC databases. This technology offer was noticed by Professor Andrzej Skladanowski of Poland’s Centre of Excellence in Biosafety and Molecular Biomedicine (BioMoBiL). He realised that it had the potential to meet an identified need for the Polish research community.

In response to that problem, Manuel Reina’s research group, Celltec UB, has set up a cell bank known as EUcellbank. This has become so successful that they are now offering to help other teams in other countries set up similar facilities. The first transnational transfer, to Poland, has now been achieved.

A quality system “We develop quite a number of different cell types for use in our own work, and we wanted to share results with other research groups,” explains Reina. “So we initially set up our own regional cell bank. We invited research teams to supply their cell lines for us to store, on condition that

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Celltec’s cell culture facilities.

Andrzej Skladanowski explains: “Many new cell lines are created by biologists for their own use, and afterwards they are

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put into storage and usually forgotten. We wanted to be able to collect these cells from Polish and other scientific institutions and make them available to the scientific community on a non-profit basis.”

Some years ago, Celltec UB set up a spinoff company called Advancell which uses advances in cell biology and biotechnology to assist commercial companies throughout the world.

With the help of IRC Central Poland and IRC Catalonia, BioMoBiL and Celltec UB made contact with each other and were able to reach an agreement that allows the EUcellbank system to be used as the model for a new cell bank in Poland.

The continuing success of EUcellbank has generated its own problem in that the size of the existing facilities is no longer adequate. Later in 2006 it will benefit from a major expansion, with new facilities and equipment arriving to increase the scope for further growth. But growth is not an end in itself. As Manuel Reina points out: “Our main focus is not to be big, but to be useful.”

Two members of the BioMoBiL staff spent a week working in the Spanish laboratory to become familiar with EUcellbank’s procedures and controls. The Polish cell bank has now begun to collect and store its samples. Skladanowski comments: “I want to acknowledge the help of the now deceased Professor Senén Vilaró of Celltec, whose assistance made me decide to enter into this agreement. It has not only given us access to new technology, but also to the useful skills of our partners in Barcelona.”

Applying basic research The primary purpose of this technology transfer is to promote open scientific collaboration for the benefit of society in general, rather than to achieve any commercial gain. In addition to assisting all kinds of basic research, Skladanowski points out that making it easier for researchers to perform direct experimentation on cells can reduce the number of laboratory animals that must be subjected to controversial animal-testing procedures. There are also commercial implications, however, because the cells developed by research teams like Celltec and BioMoBiL can be of great use to companies working in fields such as pharmacology, biotechnology, cosmetics and nutrition.

IRC contacts: Spain Mònica Duran IRC Catalonia Tel. +34 93 476 72 88 [email protected] http://www.cidem.com/irc/ Poland Katarzyna Podhajska-Sredniawa IRC Central Poland Tel. +48 58 552 14 98 [email protected] http://www.ctt.gda.pl/ Company contacts: Manuel Reina Celltec UB Tel. +34 934 021 630 [email protected] http://www.ub.es/celltec-ub/ Andrzej Skladanowski BioMoBiL Tel. +48 58 349 14 70 [email protected] http://www.biology.pl/biomobil/

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Electronics and ITC

Simulation spins from Finland to Italy, and beyond A Finnish SME that is a spin-off from Scandinavia’s largest research organisation is breaking into the international market with help from the IRC network. With an Italian partner, Simtech Systems is finding customers for its casting simulation software across Europe and throughout the world. The award-winning partnership is bringing significant commercial benefits to both companies.

What can a small business do when it has a great product but operates out of a relatively remote location, far away from the foreign markets it might be able to spread into, and it does not have the resources to finance expensive international marketing trips? For Matti Sirviö, Director of Simtech Systems in Finland, the answer was to approach the IRC for help. The end result has been an award-winning transnational technology transfer which Sirviö hopes has unlocked the door to widening international success.

Spin-off from EC research The story actually begins with the EU-funded CipCap project, which was exploring new computing methods to assist in the casting of metals by European foundries. One of the partners in this project was VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland), which is the largest research organisation in Scandinavia and was Matti Sirviö’s employer for 14 years. One innovative side-product of VTT’s work on the CipCap Project was the development of a new software tool which they called ConiferCast. “The ConiferCast system can simulate high pressure die casting processes much better than its competitors,” says Matti Sirviö. The software is used to predict the flow of the molten metal as it is pumped into a preformed cast, and the precise way in which the metal will cool and solidify. Using software to predict the behaviour of the molten metal significantly increases the efficiency and flexibility of the cast design Success Story

(Ref: TTT 1493)

process. It also reduces the amount of metal lost as scrap due to defects in moulding, and the waste associated with more traditional trial and error approaches. ConiferCast is therefore an innovation that can benefit the environment, in addition to increasing the productivity and profits of companies that use it. Just about every engineering-based manufacturing industry makes use of molten metal casting to produce precisely shaped components. At present, there is a particular trend in the automotive industry to make the biggest components by high-pressure casting, for which ConiferCast simulations are particularly appropriate. Making automobiles, aeroplanes and washing machines are just a few of the everyday applications of die-casting that we all rely on. So it is easy to appreciate that there is a large potential market for an innovation that can bring cost, time and quality improvements to this central industrial process. The software’s advantages over competitors gave Matti Sirviö and VTT the confidence to set up Simtech Systems as a spin-off company, to exploit the commercial potential.

Simulation software predicts the behaviour of molten metal in a cast. Courtesy of BROMOPRESS SRL, Italy

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A niche market in Italy In response to Matti Sirviö’s request for assistance to find international collaborators to license and distribute the software, IRC Finland put Simtech Systems in touch with the Italian Company XC Engineering. This SME was set up in 2003 to offer consultancy on simulation projects using computational fluido-dynamics tools in several fields. With the assistance of IRC Lombardy in Italy, a licensing and franchising agreement was soon signed by Simtech and XC Engineering, allowing the Italian company to bring ConiferCast to the Italian market. Using their local knowledge, XC Engineering quickly found a real gap in the market, especially among small foundries which could exploit Simtech’s software without incurring expensive training costs. “We were able to increase dramatically our penetration in the foundry industry,” says Alessandro Incognito, Managing Director of XC Engineering. He explains that the foundry industry in Italy comprises a fairly large number of small foundries. These usually rely on the experience of their older technicians, who lack the skills and the critical mass to employ innovative techniques to optimise their processes. But ConiferCast offers them a way to innovate more easily. Both Simtech Systems and XC Engineering report significant and continuing commercial impact on their companies as a result of finding one another through the IRC network. In just one year, XC Engineering was able to increase its clients by 20%, thanks to the ConiferCast agreement. At about €48,000 per licence, this transnational link represents very good business for both companies. The success is now moving into other countries in Europe and also as far away as China and Japan. Several possibilities now being explored are expected to yield further agreements soon.

Prize winners This successful transnational technology transfer was recognised at the IRC Network

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Awards for 2005, held in Brussels in June. Simtech Systems and XC Engineering were presented with the prize for “the most successful technology transfer exploiting research results.” The agreement falls into that category due to its origins in the EUfunded CipCap research project. Sirviö acknowledges that it was the IRC network’s success in finding partners for him that offered his fledgling company a viable future. “I received fantastic help,” he enthuses, adding: “The people in the IRC are very knowledgeable about technology, very friendly, easy to work with, and I am sure very many small companies like mine could benefit from their assistance.” For XC Engineering, Alessandro Incognito comments: “The lesson from this story is that SMEs should look at the IRC as a great opportunity for promoting their growth. Right now we are looking for an extra engineer as a result of the increased consultancy work we are getting due to ConiferCast, and very soon we will need to increase the number of workstations available to handle the extra load of simulations.”

IRC contacts: Finland Irja Ruokamo IRC Finland Oulutech Ltd Tel. +358 8 551 3623 [email protected] Italy Angelo Gatto IRC Lombardia Politecnico Innovazione Milano Tel. +39 022399 2970 [email protected] Company contacts: Matti Sirviö Simtech Systems Tel. +358 50 051 4531 [email protected] Alessandro Incognito XC Engineering Tel. +39 031 715999 [email protected]

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Life sciences

Getting the drugs on target A novel drug-delivery catheter developed in Greece is showing considerable potential in initial trials against brain tumours and haematomas. The IRC network has helped to link the Greek developer with a French company that is ideally suited to manufacturing the system for the international market. In the longer term, the catheter’s unique abilities are expected also to be of use against a wide variety of cancers and other diseases.

Christos Panotopoulos is a Greek neurosurgeon who has developed an innovative catheter which delivers drugs locally and evacuates pathological fluid from the body. In 2000, he set up Microdialysis Greece Ltd to commercialise the patented system. More recently, however, he realised that working with an international partner would greatly increase the chances of successfully introducing the technology throughout the EU and beyond. The path to international collaboration began with a call to IRC Help Forward.

(Ref: TTT 1504) partnerships with companies that they are not familiar with. Statice Santé is a biomedical engineering company that works with a client’s specifications to develop and manufacture both implantable and non-implantable medical devices. “This is a really good match,” explains Serge Piranda, of Statice Santé. “It gives us the chance to work on a very interesting invention with the Greek company which really understands the needs of the end-users.”

Unique performance and control The novel catheter is designed for the localised delivery of drugs directly into target tissues and concomitant aspiration of pathological tissue. The behaviour of the polymer that the catheter is made from allows a unique level of control over the diffusion of drugs into the tissue. It also avoids problems of blockage found in competing systems, and it optimises the irrigation and aspiration of the tissue as the treatment proceeds.

The reassurance of the IRC IRC Help Forward in Greece helped Christos Panotopoulos to prepare his company’s business plan. The help became more specific when the Greek IRC worked with IRC Grand-Est in France to identify the French company Statice Santé as a suitable partner for Microdialysis. “It is amazing that the company the IRC identified was one that I had actually heard about from a colleague,” explains Panotopoulos. “As an IRC client, the French company had a good track record and this reassured me that working with them would be a move in the right direction.” This demonstrates how the IRC can give SMEs confidence in forging foreign

Success Story

CT scan showing the catheter’s radio-opaque tip inside a recurrent glioblastoma.

The initial targets for treatment are some types of brain haematomas and some recurrent malignant tumours of the brain that do not respond to, or cannot tolerate,

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existing treatment. The hope is that localised chemotherapy using the new catheter may be more beneficial for the patient without the side effects associated with existing treatments. In the longer term, the system should also prove useful for the treatment of a wide variety of other cancers, and for unrelated conditions such as osteomyelitis, arthritis and abscesses. “The ability to exchange fluids with tissues at any rate, according to the treating doctor’s wishes, leads us to hope it will be useful in a wide range of clinical settings,” says Panotopoulos, emphasising the key advantage of the technology over existing alternatives. Microdialysis Greece Ltd now trades as Estelle Enterprises Ltd and is registered in Cyprus – a move which resulted from the business plan created with the IRC’s help. The formal manufacturing agreement with Statice Santé allows the companies to collaborate to develop, produce and market the catheter. A phase of refinement after the agreement was signed revealed scope for some modifications, resulting in a prototype that has now been validated in clinical trials.

Christos Panotopoulos, it delivers professional manufacturing and marketing expertise for his clinical invention, with all the commercial benefits that should bring. These will be in addition, of course, to the healthcare implications of improving the treatment of some very serious medical conditions. For Statice Santé, Serge Piranda comments: “The benefits for us will not simply be in terms of profit - this partnership allows us to increase our international profile and we feel really enriched by this experience.”

IRC contacts: Greece Sotiris Xydis IRC Help Forward Tel. +30 2410 534452 Fax +30 2410 555509 [email protected] http://www.help-forward.gr/ France Anne-Marie Vieux IRC Grand-Est Tel. +33 3 8147 4207 Fax +33 3 8180 7094 [email protected] http://www.euro-innovation.org/

“These trials turned out as expected,” says Panotopoulos, “although they identified some technical problems which we are now working on.” If all goes well, larger-scale clinical trials should begin in 2006.

Company contacts: Christos Panotopoulos Microdialysis Ltd / Estelle Enterprises Limited, Cyprus Tel. +30 210 7298940 –1 Fax +30 210 7298942 [email protected]

Exploring closer ties

Serge Piranda Statice Santé Tel. +33 3 8148 4335 Fax +33 3 8148 0901 [email protected] http://www.statice.com/

In assessing the best strategies for the future, the partners are currently exploring the possibilities of entering into a closer form of collaboration than the current agreement. The two companies are also working together to obtain the “CE marking certificate” required to market the technology across the EU. The benefits of the partnership for both partners should be very significant. For

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Waste Management

Secure way to successful shredding German waste-shredding machines are being made available to the Turkish market thanks to a deal that can be traced back to an IRC Forum in Greece. The technology meets the high specifications required for secure shredding of sensitive documents. All types of shredded waste can be used as refuse-derived fuel, providing an environmentally friendly energy source that reduces the dumping of waste in landfill sites.

The German company Vecoplan’s produces shredding and grinding machines for a wide range of industrial applications. Over a period of 35 years Vecoplan’s has built a successful international business providing the equipment to shred materials such as paper, wood, plastic and municipal solid waste. In many cases, the shredding produces easily handled wastes that can be used as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) so, in addition to waste disposal, this technology contributes to recycling and energy production for Vecoplan’s customers.

Turning to Turkey

(Ref: TTT 1541)

running around looking for good contacts in Turkey,” Sassenrath comments. The breakthrough came thanks to an International Venture Capital Forum organised by IRC Help Forward in Athens. Coinciding with this event, Vecoplan was participating in a mission to visit Greek companies, organised by IRC Help Forward and IRC Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz. The Greek IRC realised this presented a good opportunity to introduce Vecoplan to IRC EGE, from Turkey, which was participating in the Forum, accompanying a large delegation of Turkish entrepreneurs. This opportunity allowed Sassenrath to fully explore the options for IRC assistance with a move into Turkey. With help from IRC Help Forward and IRC-EGE, a meeting was eventually arranged between Sassenrath and Naci Seven, the Managing Director of the Turkish company SEVEN Environmental Technologies. This company specialises in providing equipment for recycling and waste management, making it a suitable local partner which could help Vecoplan move into the Turkish market.

Vecoplan has a strong history of innovation, and is the inventor of the single-shaft rotary grinder/shredder. But, of course, commercial innovation also involves breaking into new markets, not just creating new technology. The company realised that Turkey presents great opportunities due to its relative lack of local companies able to supply topspecification shredding and grinding equipment. Having worked with IRC Hessen/ Rheinland-Pfalz successfully in the past, Boris Sassenrath, national sales manager of Vecoplan, knew that it might provide useful assistance in venturing into Turkey, which did, indeed, prove to be the case. “Without the IRC’s help I would still be

Success Story

A Vecoplan shredder

Reaching agreement SEVEN has already a large experience in selling products in the environmental

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sector but is always on the lookout for new services that might help it to gain new market shares. “Boris Sassenrath provided all the necessary catalogues and other information about Vecoplan’s products, and we agreed that I should conduct a survey into the possibilities for selling them in Turkey,” explains Seven. He quickly identified a need for the Vecoplan technology in his country, and within a month he informed Sassenrath that he was ready to start working with them. With the assistance of the IRC network, Vecoplan and SEVEN have signed a formal agreement making the latter the sole representative for Vecoplan throughout Turkey. The deal includes a training element for the staff of SEVEN, to give them the expertise needed to install and maintain the shredding machines. At the same time, a mechanical engineer from SEVEN is currently doing market research in Turkey to allow the partners to examine the market opportunities in more detail.

First sales SEVEN have now sold their first two Vecoplan machines in Turkey, and Sassenrath hopes that this might rise to regular sales of around ten shredder units per year. “Our first sale was to a customer needing document shredding to a high-security specification,” says Sassenrath, “but I hope to find markets in plastics and other wastes, in addition to the paper industry.” He believes that the Turkish market is currently the one with the greatest opportunities for growth for his company, commenting; “Right now, the move into Turkey is an important priority for us. There is less competition and big potential.”

SEVEN Environmental Technologies, on the other hand, have gained a valuable new source of high-specification equipment to enhance the environmental equipment services they already provide. SEVEN has organised seminars to explain to managers of Turkish industries the benefits to be gained by using waste materials as fuels, facilitated by the Vecoplan shredders. “In summer 2006, we will share a stand with Vecoplan at the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition in Istanbul,” says Seven. “We hope that our presence at this important exhibition might identify new customers and new opportunities for us.”

IRC contacts: Germany Werner Pilsner IRC Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz Tel. +49 631 31668 15 [email protected] http://www.irc-hessen.de/ Turkey Serdal Temel IRC EGE Tel. +90 232 343 44 00 [email protected] http://irc.ege.edu.tr/ Greece Anastasia Constantinou IRC Help Forward Tel. +30 210 3607 690 [email protected] http://www.help-forward.gr/ Company contacts: Boris Sassenrath Vecoplan GmbH & Co. KG Tel. +49 266 1 6267 114 [email protected] http://www.vecoplan.de/ Naci Seven SEVEN Environmental Technologies Ltd Tel. +90 216 3477 707 [email protected] http://www.seven.com.tr/

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Success Story

Electronics, IT and Telecoms

Tapping a window of opportunity Large glass panels that can respond to a small vibration are the subject of a new technology transfer agreement between a Parisian high-tech company and a UK marketing company. The technology enables a large glass area to act like a sensitive computer screen. It responds to a light tap or even a spoken word to offer details of the topic chosen. The panels can be used in shop windows and other display areas to provide interactive information for all kinds of sales, tourism and publicity.

Imagine you are looking into the window of an estate agent and see a house that you might like to buy and by tapping on its picture you could immediately access all the details including an interactive tour of the rooms. Or you are sitting around a glass table in a café with a group of friends wondering where to go next and the table top displays all the local attractions. Maybe the table or the window will even speak to you or play some music. Both of these entertaining scenarios are now possible, thanks to technology developed by a French company, Intelligent Vibrations (I-VIBE), set up in Paris to exploit spin-offs from university research. Laurence Faigenbaume of the Paris Ile de France IRC based at the research support agency Anvar Ile de France, has known the company since it was first set up. "All their products are based on the detection of vibrations," she explains, "and we have helped them to write two technology offers, one for these intelligent windows and another for a sensor to detect and measure gas in air. The reactive windows have attracted a lot of interest and we believe they will ensure international success for the company." Instant click Meanwhile in the UK, the Midlands IRC (MIRC) was working on a technology mission to Paris.

(Ref: 4.08·2) "We had been approached by a marketing company, CV1 Products Limited in Coventry," recalls MIRC's Steve Shorthouse. "They were looking for innovative technology that could be used in merchandising. We had come across IVibe in 2001 on a previous product search and were impressed enough to continue to look for applications for their technology. CV1's needs seemed to be a close match." Following preliminary discussions between Alexander Hicks of CV1 and Jean-Pierre Nikolovski of Intelligent Vibrations, the two IRCs organised a meeting in Paris. MIRC provided some financial help and escorted the British company, while both IRCs assisted in the

negotiations. The technology match and the synergy were so good that the two men signed an agreement on the spot. "We specialise in marketing and advertising at the point of purchase," explains Hicks. "We were looking for products that would make posters and printed images work harder. With Intelligent Windows, we can display text, graphics and video from a computer monitor or a back projection unit, either on a window or on a large glass panel in a frame. One application we are working on just now is the display of financial services for a major UK bank and we are also field testing several demonstration units. If you 48

Success Story

analyse the hits you can also use it for market research."

also a very easy way to teach technophobes how to use computers.

How it works

"The glass is only 14 cm thick," he explains "and it is tough enough for public use. Spilt food or drink won't hurt it and you can wipe it clean, unlike a touch-sensitive screen which is easily damaged."

The technology is based around acoustic waves. At each corner of the glass panel, which can be several square metres in area, is a tiny sensor that detects bulk acoustic waves from the noise made by tapping it or from a human voice. The sensors are wired up to a computer that works out the point on the glass that has been tapped. They were first used to receive signals from a digital stylus, but when this proved unsuitable for commercial use, Nikolovski and his colleagues realised that the hand could also be a stylus and began to work on adapting the system to large areas for intelligent windows. "The problem was to make sensors that could pick up very small vibrations, but not be affected by background chatter or traffic noise," he explains. "Now we have refined the system so that it can pick up a voice from across the pavement. We can also reverse the sensors so that the window acts as a microphone and talks to the user." The patented system can use conventional graphics packages to create displays but relies on special design software to convert the impact point into a picture, a web page or a multimedia display. A new application often needs its own software solution. Table talk The latest application is to turn the intelligent window from vertical to horizontal to form a table, and it has the enthusiastic support of both the IRCs and the partners in the agreement. The back projection comes from underneath the table, and transforms it into an information panel suitable for bars, hotels, company reception areas, railway stations and many other places. The talk-back feature makes it very user-friendly and Nikolovski foresees many other applications. "You could use it as a decorative panel for a party or even as a juke box. As hard disks get bigger you will able to store your favourite movies. It's

Success Story

The IRC network database has been a key factor in the distribution of this unusual technology. "The IRC has been terrific," concludes Alex Hicks. "Without the help of Louise Richardson and Kate Duggan, none of this would have happened. I told them what we wanted and they found it." CV1 has been working hard to promote the technology - the intelligent window was featured on the BBC's Tomorrow's World programme and exhibited at the Innovate 2002 event in London.

IRC contacts: United Kingdom Steve Shorthouse, IRC Midlands Tel: +44 24 76 236 6424 Fax: +44 24 7623 6051 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.mirc.org.uk France Laurence Faigenbaume, IRC Paris Ile-de-France Tel: +33 1 4453 7600 Fax: +33 1 4526 0968 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.irc-paris-idf.net Company contacts: United Kingdom Alexander Hicks, CV1 Products Ltd Tel: +44 24 76 23 60 50 E-mail: [email protected] France Jean-Pierre Nikolovski, Intelligent Vibrations Tel: +33 1 55 43 87 87 Fax: +33 1 55 43 97 81 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.i-vibrations.com

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Agriculture and aquaculture

Perfect peaches Years of careful breeding and testing by the Fruit Tree Research Institute in Rome are now literally bearing fruit, in the form of a new and improved range of flat peaches. Through the IRC network, this Italian innovation has been transferred to a nursery in Spain, which is using it to reinvigorate a previously depressed market. Christened ‘UFOs’, the distinctive flat peaches seem set to become an increasingly common sight in the shops of Europe and elsewhere.

Flat peaches are valued by consumers for their taste and texture. Until recently, however, meeting the demand for these peaches has been restricted by their short seasonal availability and some limitations in their characteristics. A few years ago the Fruit Tree Research Institute in Rome focused its attention on the problem whereby the traditional variety has a tendency to develop splits in the skin and through the flesh. Although the fruit can be sold in local markets, it is not suitable for long-distance transport.

Breeding success The Italian researchers embarked on an experimental breeding programme, making directed crosses among standard varieties.

(Ref: TTT 1698) contrast, the older variety produced ripe fruit for only a few weeks. Other advantages of the new flat peaches are that they are easier to pack together and to commercialise for the mass market. They also have a very small stone and good consistency in taste, colour and size across all nine varieties. The breeders christened the new type of peach ‘UFO’ in tribute to its flat round shape resembling a flying saucer! It soon became clear, however, that these particular aliens might be very well suited to life outside Italy. IRC CIRCE circulated a technology offer across the IRC network on Nicotra’s behalf, in search of nurseries interested in testing and developing the new peaches for other countries. IRC CIRCE are also promoting the peaches at many international IRC events.

UFOs in Spain One of the companies most interested in the new varieties promoted in the technology offer was Agromillora Catalana, a high-tech Spanish nursery which specialises in the production and marketing of fruit rootstocks, grapevines and olive trees.

“We managed to obtain varieties of flat peaches with no problems of broken skin and which retain all the excellent characteristics of sweetness and good flavour and texture,” says Antonino Nicotra, of the Fruit Tree Research Institute. In addition to solving the problem of broken fruit, the Institute managed to breed nine varieties of the new peaches that would each ripen at different times in the season. This opens up the possibility of providing ripe fruit to consumers from the end of May until late September. In

Success Story

UFO flat peaches

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“We have actually had contacts with the Institute in Rome since about 1987,” explains Jorge Pinochet, Agromillora’s R&D manager. “So when we heard through IRC Catalonia that they had come out with these new flat peach varieties we were very interested.” Agromillora obtained an exclusive agreement to produce and sell the UFO peach plants in Spain. Jorge Pinochet emphasises that in addition to the excellent quality of the fruit, the great advantage with the UFO series is that it allows the consumers to identify what they like, and then to find a reliable supply of consistent quality peaches from May until September. This is extremely important for building a large base of loyal consumers. Traditionally the type of peach available on supermarket shelves changes every few weeks, but now consumers can continually choose the peach they have grown to like.

The UFO peaches have a distinct commercial advantage for growers, and therefore for Agromillora, in that they are able to maintain a good price compared to other peach varieties because of their premium qualities and consistency. In the hope of building on the success achieved so far, Agromillora have now acquired a licence to allow them to take the UFO varieties into the North African market. And of course the commercial success in Spain feeds back to the Fruit Tree Research Institute in Rome, through the IRC-brokered agreement. According to Antonino Nicotra, “We are very satisfied with the financial return we are making through this agreement, and other similar ones in countries such as France.”

“People think they are buying the same peach through many months, and appreciate that regular supply, although they are actually eating different varieties,” comments Jorge Pinochet.

IRC contacts: Italy Gianluca Rossi IRC CIRCE Tel. +39 065 91 18 17 [email protected] http://www.apre.it/

Fruits of success

Spain

The UFO peach plants are now being grown in several different regions of Spain, and providing the plants is developing into a big business for Agromillora. In recent years the peach market in Spain has been somewhat depressed, but Jorge Pinochet reports that: “As one grower spreads the word to other growers in different regions, the demand is growing steadily.” As a result of the development of these new varieties, there are now more than 2,000 hectares of UFO orchards across Spain.

Mònica Duran IRC Catalonia Tel. +34 93 476 72 88 [email protected] http://www.cidem.com/irc Company contacts: Antonino Nicotra Istituto Sperimentale per la Frutticoltura Tel. +39 067 93 48 103 [email protected] http://www.inea.it/isf/institute/index.htm Jorge Pinochet Agromillora Catalana Tel. +34 619 414 510 [email protected] http://www.agromillora.com/

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Success Story

Industrial technology

Reducing accidents by making the blind visible An innovative new illuminated cane could help reduce accidents by making blind and partially sighted people easier to see by road users and other pedestrians. The folding polycarbonate cane has been patented by a UK company and will be made in Hungary, in a co-development deal brokered by the IRC network.

Even the serious business of reducing accidents can have its funny moments. The deal to make VizCane® – a new product from UK-based Somerwood Ltd, was sealed in Hungary to the strains of Bach from a 1952 Wurlitzer organ. Graham Hunter, Somerwood’s managing director, remembers it as a somewhat ‘surreal’ experience. “I was toasting the deal with Hungarian spirit, and my IRC representative was playing this fantastic old cinema organ.” For János Gál, director of Ferrit-Elektro, the production of VizCane® represents both an opportunity and a challenge. “We had been looking for an innovative product with good marketing potential for a long time.

(Ref: TTT 1807)

Goldsbrough says he went along to provide moral and business support. He discovered that Gál was a fellow musiclover and an avid collector of antique instruments, with the Wurlitzer taking pride of place in his office. “I just could not resist it when Mr Gál asked if anyone could play,” he recalls. Graham and Leah Hunter came across the idea for VizCane® while visiting friends in Denmark. When an early prototype featuring lights on the handle was shown to them, they were so impressed with the idea that they invested their own money from the proceeds of a house sale to further the project's development. "We immediately spotted the potential of this idea to change lives," says Leah Hunter. "Since beginning the development I have been given the chance to work with many blind and partially sighted people who have guided the project and given us helpful feedback. Really it has been built by these individuals, and we know that it will make a huge difference to the whole blind community."

“VizCane® is a product that requires our development experience in both electronic and in mechanical engineering. Considering the number of blind and visually impaired people all over the world, and the marketing experience of Somerwood, the investment in development and in the enlargement of our production capacity seems to have a sound foundation,” he adds.

Hard negotiations It all came after some hard negotiations. Andrew Goldsbrough, from IRC East of England, accompanied Somerwood to the meeting at Ferrit-Elektro in Budapest, while IRC Hungary provided interpretation in addition to assisting their client.

Success Story

VizCane: lighting the way to a safer future.

User-testing This rigorous user-testing in association with a number of leading European organisations representing the blind and partially sighted has resulted in the current version of VizCane® - a

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polycarbonate folding stick with a rechargeable battery and a light source running its length. From Ferrit-Elektro’s point of view, the product represents a significant change of gear. Up to now they have made a broad range of electronic and mechanical engineering equipment. Their biggest customer is the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, but they also supply banks, filling stations telecommunication companies and canning factories. Gál says that manufacturing VizCane® brings a number of completely new technologies to the company. “Working with high purity polycarbonate, high precision tube extrusions, and combining mechanical manufacturing with highly sensitive electronics has been the biggest challenge in the history of the company. “VizCane® opens a new and promising market for Ferrit-Elektro. It is the base of a product family for the future,” he adds.

IRC contribution Gál pays tribute to the contribution of the IRC network. “They participated in the start of cooperation, helped the partners to understand each other and helped overcome several critical points during the preparation and signing of the contract.”

Graham Hunter says the potential for the product is huge. “There are up to 10 million blind and partially-sighted people in Europe alone, and a similar number in North America. “Thanks to Ferrit-Elektro’s efforts we are well on the way to getting CE approval, which will allow the cane to be sold throughout Europe, and we are planning to start production within a matter of months,” he adds.

IRC contacts: Hungary Adrien Füzesi IRC Hungary Tel. +36 1 457 5340 [email protected] United Kingdom Andrew Goldsbrough IRC East of England Tel. +44 1223 421117 [email protected] Company contacts: János Gál Ferrit-Elektro Tel. +36 1 290 2297 [email protected] Graham Hunter Somerwood Ltd Tel. +44 1799 513790 [email protected]

During the development period two parttime jobs were created at Ferrit-Elektro, and they expect this to rise to between five and ten full-time posts once full production gets under way. “According to our strategy, VizCane® and the product family will be the leading product of Ferrit-Elektro for a long time,” says Gál.

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Success Story

Life sciences

Fishing for food additives, paints and plastics  Concerned  that  their  important  library  of  marine  bacteria  strains  and  their  expertise  in  screening  for  novel  bio­  surfactants  and  emulsifiers  were  not  being  used  to  their  full  potential,  the  Scottish  Association  for  Marine  Science  (SAMS)  turned  to  their  local  IRC.  They  were put in touch with the marine biology  department  of  Oldenburg  University  in  Germany  which  had  developed  similar  expertise in screening marine bacteria for  wax  esters.  The  collaboration  is  expected  to lead to commercially exploitable results  for  both  partners  and  will  maximise  the  potential of their research. 

Marine bacteria are a relatively untapped  source of natural compounds which offer a  potential goldmine for the discovery of  new, environmentally friendly, bio­  degradable substances for use in a wide  range of industrial, environmental and  health applications. 

Screening for novelty  The facilities to collect and store these  bacteria, and then screen them for specific  compounds are still quite rare. The  Scottish Association for Marine Science  (SAMS) has developed a significant library  of novel marine bacteria and specific  expertise in screening these bacteria for  effective biosurfactants or emulsifiers –  substances which facilitate the mixing of  oil­based and water­based components.  “There is an enormous potential market  for effective biosurfactants in Europe,  notably in the food industry and in the  paints and coatings industry,” notes Tony  Gutierrez of SAMS. “We are in the process  of identifying important novel substances,  which could create new and lucrative  European markets.”  At present, the food industry in Europe  relies heavily on three main emulsifiers –  xanthan gum from China, lecithin,  primarily from the US and Brazil, and gum 

Success Story 

(Ref: TTT 1821) 

Arabic, from sub­Saharan Africa. Finding  an effective, environmentally friendly,  economic, home­grown substitute for  these would be significant. 

Expanding the options  SAMS felt, however, that the potential of  marine bacteria ­ many from a protected  ‘niche’ source ­ to yield other valuable  information and products was not being  fully exploited. Through their contact at  IRC Scotland, the IRC network put them  in touch with the University of Oldenburg  in Germany.  The marine biology department at  Oldenburg had developed a similarly rich  library of marine bacteria and expertise in  screening for wax esters – natural waxes  widely used in the cosmetics and  pharmaceutical industries, and with  possible applications in novel  biodegradable plastics and packaging.  Wax esters are attractive since they are  non­hazardous, biodegradable and can be  produced from renewable resources. The  production of waxes by marine bacteria  offers high­quantity production,  independent of climatic conditions and/or  the availability of arable land. 

Mixing oil and water together with emulsifiers  extracted from marine bacteria. No emulsifier  added (left tube); emulsifiers from two  different marine bacteria (middle and right  tube). 

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Sharing the strains  The collaboration set up between SAMS  and Oldenburg University, thanks to the  intervention of the Saxon and Scottish  IRCs, is essentially an academic­based  collaboration which takes the form of a  Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA).  Oldenburg send SAMS samples of their  bacterial strains and SAMS does the same  in the other direction.  “The cooperation with SAMS has been  very positive,” notes Luise Berthe­Corti of  Oldenburg. “We have found interesting  data in the strains from SAMS and, as the  investigations performed by SAMS are  complementary to ours, the information  provided to us by them has been very  useful in helping us develop a more  detailed understanding of the metabolism  of our strains.” 

Future promise  For both SAMS and the team at Oldenburg  the final objective is to be able to apply  the knowledge generated by their  collaboration for the development of a  commercially viable product or process.  Joint collaboration on a project of this  type is certainly envisaged at some point.  For SAMS, the emphasis will be on the  discovery and development of novel  surfactants, whilst Oldenburg will  concentrate on identifying wax esters  suitable for industrial production and use.  Together, both parties will also be making  a significant contribution to the 

development of guidelines for the  production of these substances by  ‘bioreactors’ and the transfer of this  knowledge to large­scale industrial  production.  The promise of this innovative approach is  exciting. Bacteria have high growth rates  and can be cultivated in large quantities –  unlike existing animal and plant sources.  Even better, under optimal conditions,  bacteria can use waste products or low­  cost renewable materials for growth. A  natural alchemist with a golden future! 

IRC contacts:  United Kingdom  Alison Orr  IRC Scotland  Tel: +44 141 5721600  [email protected]  Germany  Thomas Brinks  IRC Lower Saxony/Saxony Anhalt  Tel: +49 511 300 31 362  [email protected]  Company contacts:  Dr Tony Gutierrez / Dr David Green  The Scottish Association for Marine  Science (SAMS)  Tel: +44 1631 559000  [email protected]  [email protected]  Dr Luise Berthe­Corti  Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg  Tel: +49 441 798 3290  luise.berthe.corti@uni­oldenburg.de

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Success Story 

Electronics and ITC

Good vibrations PLANSONOR, a French loudspeaker developer, was struggling to find the best material for a key component of flat loudspeakers, until it turned to their local IRC for help. The French company was introduced to ACUSTTEL, a Spanish SME that specialises in experimental and computer-based analysis of acoustics. Modelling the performance of different materials has allowed PLANSONOR to identify exactly what they require. Commercial success should follow soon.

We are used to hearing information and background music in a huge range of public spaces, including restaurants, cinemas, museums, shops and public transport facilities. PLANSONOR is a recently established French SME producing loudspeakers for this market. Their search for continual improvement has led them to begin work developing a new type of flat loudspeaker, which should have both excellent sound quality and be suited to a wide range of architectural environments.

Trial and error The flat loudspeaker uses a sheet of expanded polystyrene, only about one centimetre thick, as the diffusing membrane. This component allows the electrical input to be transformed into the controlled vibrations that create the required sounds. It must vibrate in a regular and reliable way in response to all the different frequencies generated. The problem PLANSONOR faced was to find the best formulation of polystyrene for this very specialised application. “At first we just proceeded by testing each type in turn,” explains Jean-Marie Verdier the managing director of PLANSONOR, “but this was very time consuming.” There was no easy way for the company to explain to polystyrene manufacturers exactly what they needed, in fact they did not really know themselves! After approximately two years of trials, the search for the best material was becoming a major problem on the route to the new speaker.

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 1823)

Computer-based modelling Verdier approached the consultants at IRC Paris Ile-de-France for help, and within about 10 weeks he was put in touch with ACUSTTEL, a Spanish SME with expertise in modelling acoustic vibrations by computer. ACUSTTEL was assisted by IRC CENEMES in Spain, and both IRCs helped the companies to explore options for meeting PLANSONOR’s requirements. It soon became apparent that one of ACUSTTEL’s software systems would be able to replace the previous trial-anderror approach with a computer-based analysis, which would be quicker and more revealing. The software was able to look at the proposed loudspeaker design, and predict how all of the crucial variables of different polystyrenes would respond to different sounds. There are a surprising range of variables in what, to the untrained observer, might seem like a rather simple piece of polystyrene. Density, flexibility, strength and structural homogeneity are just some of the factors to be considered. Technical terms like the ‘Young’s modulus’ and the ‘Poisson’s ratio’ had to be factored into the equations. The practical result was that the computerbased analysis was able to identify the specific problems with some types of polystyrene, and the advantages of other types.

The Acusttel software models the vibrations of PLANSONOR’s loudspeaker membrane. © ACUSTTEL and PLANSONOR

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“PLANSONOR did have quite a good prototype, but it needed further optimisation,” explains Vincent Marant, the head of ACUSTTEL’s R&D department. The challenges met by the ACUSTTEL software included finding ways to achieve a higher level of sound radiated from the loudspeaker, and more regular responses to varying frequencies of sound. The specific technical modelling approach used by ACUSTTEL is the ‘Finite Elements Method’, based on dividing the space being analysed into many small cells. This makes it feasible to model the real conditions within each cell, and then to combine the computational solutions of all the cells back into an accurate model of the entire system. “The simulations have demonstrated very clear improvements,” says Marant.

Forward to production The end result of ACUSTTEL’s assistance is a technical report giving a detailed description of the type of polystyrene that will work best in the innovative PLANSONOR loudspeaker. Armed with the ACUSTTEL report, PLANSONOR are now ready to find the appropriate polystyrene and start to build their speaker. They are approaching polystyrene manufacturers with very precise and detailed requirements, whereas previously they did not really know what to ask for. “The people at ACUSTTEL acted as a bridge between us and the polystyrene makers, helping us discover and then make clear exactly what we needed,” says Verdier. “They have passion for their work and they have saved us a lot of time and money. We would never have been able to perform these sophisticated analyses for ourselves. We lost about two years doing all the timeconsuming trial-and-error work. It is a shame we had not used the IRC network to find ACUSTTEL sooner.” As the project moves from theory into production, there will be further work for ACUSTTEL to do in the testing and refinement of the initial prototypes. As with the initial analysis, this refinement process can be expected to flow more quickly and

efficiently using computer-based modelling rather than trial and error.

Wider plans At the same time as converting their new theoretical knowledge into a working system, PLANSONOR are also developing the new patents needed to protect their innovation on a worldwide basis. Although a small and young company, formed only in 2002, their commercial ambitions lie much further afield than just France, or even Europe. They have already forged a partnership with a Korean company that is interested in gaining a licence to bring the technology to South-East Asia and Japan. For their part, ACUSTTEL hope to gain more than just a new client from their agreement with PLANSONOR. “Our participation in this ambitious project should help us become recognised as experts in the electroacoustic field, and more generally in acoustics,” says Marant. ACUSTTEL also hope that the relationship with PLANSONOR will be longlasting, allowing them to assist in the research and development aspects of future products and expand their R&D activities in acoustics.

IRC contacts: Spain Maria Carrión Salvador IRC CENEMES Tel. +34 96 196 1265 [email protected] France Régine Castagnet IRC Paris Ile-de-France Tel. +33 1 30 75 35 84 [email protected] Company contacts: Jean-Marie Verdier PLANSONOR Tel. +33 6 09 18 72 43 [email protected] Vincent Marant ACUSTTEL Tel. +34 96 286 62 79 [email protected]

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Success Story

Materials and transport

Hemp – the building material of the future?

(Ref: TTT 1839)

One of Europe’s oldest building materials looks set to make a comeback. Hemp, which was widely used in Roman times, is now proving itself to be a high performance, environmentally friendly insulating material, when combined with other substances to make lining for walls. The new lease of life follows a unique collaboration between researchers in Portugal and Northern Ireland, following contacts made through the IRC network.

Jalali admits that the rather obscure nature of the technology would have made it very difficult to find the right kind of international expertise without the existence of the IRC system for matching up interested parties.

When an MSc student approached Professor Said Jalali with the idea of doing a project on hemp, he admits to having had a few reservations. “I was a bit hesitant because of the connection with cannabis, but as I found out more, little by little, we gained the courage to go on,” he says.

Marta Catarino from IRC Portugal says: “After there was a clear interest from both parties we helped negotiate the technical cooperation agreement and supported the first visit of Professor Woolley to the University of Minho.”

Jalali, who is Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Minho, Portugal, discovered that some varieties of hemp could not be used in the drugs trade. There was also a long history of the material being used, not just to make rope and sails for ships, but also in buildings.

Marshall Addidle from IRC Northern Ireland says that Professor Woolley is a world authority in sustainable building materials. “We have been constantly on the lookout for technology offers and technology requests in this area. We quickly pointed out the potential in the Portuguese technology request and after discussions we agreed to assist Professor Woolley with travel costs to Portugal. We have also provided him with marketing and IPR advice over the past five years. His response on return from Portugal was very positive and agreement was quickly reached to collaborate in this increasingly important field of technology.”

“It has been abandoned and forgotten for at least the last 50 years, but when we started looking at its properties, it became clear that it still has a lot to offer as a building material,” he adds. MSc student Rute Eires concentrated on combining the hemp with other materials to make a substitute for the gypsum boards used to dry-line walls. Jalali says that they looked around for sources of expertise in this area of work and through the IRC network were put in touch with Professor Tom Woolley from the School of Architecture at Queen’s University Belfast (UK), who had been involved in a number of experimental projects on hemp as a building material.

Success Story

IRC Portugal helped define a technology request from the university and, after an evaluation of the responses, Queen’s University was identified as a suitable partner.

World authority

Woolley says the hemp-based product makes a high performance alternative to the gypsum used in dry lining. The hemp and lime solid composite can be used to make building blocks, cast like concrete into solid walls or applied wet to the walls of buildings. It is both environmentally friendly and has the useful quality of reducing the problem of the production of ‘toxic mould’. This mould gets embedded in many modern buildings and has been implicated

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in a number of conditions including the rise in the number of young children developing asthma. “Lime is a natural biocide, and makes it impossible for the mould to develop,” says Woolley. In recent years, hemp has been used as a building material in a number of houses in England, France and Ireland. It will also be used to line the walls of a warehouse building at a Suffolk brewery (UK), and in a French government building.

Compared with other natural products, such as straw - which can also be used as a building material - hemp is also more robust and resistant to dampness and rot. Woolley says the material is ideal for the renovation of older buildings, and could be used in developing eco-cottages in the Algarve, for example, avoiding the necessity of installing air-conditioning. “Compared with gypsum boards the hemp-based material is lighter, cheaper and provides more insulation. We have had interest from France and the United States, as well as here in Portugal,” Jalali adds. Thanks to the IRC network Woolley has also been in touch with a couple of German companies who are making hemp and adobe buildings “Hemp is still a bit on the margins. Our main obsession is how to get this into the mainstream,” he says.

IRC contacts: Portugal Marta Catarino IRC Portugal Tel. +351 253 510 596 [email protected] Harvesting a hemp crop.

Woolley believes this product has the potential to attract interest, especially from ‘green’ developers. Recently the Hemp Lime Construction Products Association has been set up in the UK and this organisation plans to produce technical guidance and promote the use of the material. Woolley is chair of its steering committee.

Valuable crop Hemp also has the added advantage that it is potentially valuable as a crop that could successfully and profitably be grown by farmers. “It grows almost anywhere and needs no fertilisers or pesticides,” says Woolley.

Success Story

UK Marshall Addidle IRC Northern Ireland Tel. +44 28 9069 8824 email: [email protected] Company contacts: Professor Said Jalali University of Minho Department of Civil Engineering Portugal Tel. +351 253 510204 [email protected] Professor Tom Woolley Queen’s University Belfast School of Architecture Northern Ireland Tel. +44 28 9097 5466 [email protected]

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Electronics and ICT

Home care help for retirees The Dutch company Vossebelt & Kuijper equips and markets palmtop computers that assist mobile healthcare professionals in the provision of services to retired people who live at home. The IRC network recently helped the company find an Austrian partner that could fill a key gap in its tools’ functionality – food service in healthcare settings.

As European healthcare services struggle to cope with rapidly ageing populations and lagging birth rates, small firms are stepping in to help provide services. A good example can be found in the Netherlands, where a recent study predicted that, at current growth rates, within ten years 40% of the population would have to work to pay for the care of retirees. “Obviously, the care sector needs to optimise and modernise,” says Wim Vossebelt, whose company Vossebelt & Kuijper engineers software systems for optimising processes for logistics, industrial and healthcare companies. Healthcare solutions account for 40% of Vossebelt’s business, but he expects that to rise to 70% in five years.

(Ref: TTT 1892) Vossebelt & Kuijper supplies these mobilecare professionals with industrial PDAs (personal digital assistants) which facilitate their work. IRC Netherlands recently helped Vossebelt hook up with Sanalogic, an Austrian company specialising in optimisation software for hospital food services. Vossebelt explains that his company’s speciality is packaging the best available software for a particular process. “As we were assembling the software to include on our PDAs, we realised we had a major gap – food service,” says Vossebelt. “We tested four companies’ solutions in Holland, but none worked out. We were considering developing the software ourselves, although we really didn’t want to do that. Then I received an article about IRC Netherlands in an e-mail from the Dutch Department of Internal Affairs. In fact, I had never heard of the IRC network before.

“In Holland, the market for elderly care is changing rapidly,” Vossebelt continues. “Until recently, you essentially put old people out of sight in traditional retirement homes. But there is a new thinking that says, ‘Don’t bring people to the care, bring the care to the people’.”

Retirees live at home longer A Dutch-government programme has encouraged retired couples to jointly buy specially equipped houses that typically have four to five private apartments. The retirees purchase care from nurses and other care professionals, who come directly to them in their homes. “This allows elderly people to stay at home as long as possible,” says Vossebelt.

Success Story

Sanalogic software allows healthcare professionals to take a customer’s food order for the day.

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“I ended up doing a keyword search for partners on the IRC network’s website. The name of Sanalogic popped up, just like that!” Directed by Dietmar Langer, Sanalogic has been providing food-service software to Austrian, Swiss and German hospitals for a decade. It had registered with IRC Austria in the hope of expanding its horizons. “I received an e-mail from Mr Vossebelt and within four to five weeks we signed a technical co-operation agreement,” says Langer. “I was very surprised about the IRC system’s functionality and information. Now, I look at their website regularly,” admits Vossebelt. Vossebelt’s PDAs are rugged MC50 models made by the British company Symbol. “They have to be tough and waterresistant, because they can get dropped, sometimes right into a patient’s bath, by the nurse,” says Vossebelt. Running on Microsoft Mobile Windows, the machines are equipped with any of nine software modules for various services and functions. For example, a nurse can connect, via GPRS or WiFi, to a hospital’s medical record system, transmit a patient’s blood pressure or pulse back to the doctor, order medication, or consult a prescription.

Home catering Sanalogic’s food service software fits nicely into the Dutch company’s PDAs. Until recently, meal services available for retirees in Holland were mass produced and did not allow for much choice, Vossebelt explains. With Sanalogic’s software, “We can now provide a system that lets people order fresh meals à la carte, a complete made-to-order process. A nurse or hostess equipped with one of our PDAs can go to the customers’ homes in the morning like a waiter and take their food choices for that day, as well as their needs for cleaning services, medicine, and

Success Story

other special services, recording everything for billing.” Depending on functionality, the systems cost €300,000 to €400,000, excluding hardware, for an unlimited number of users. Leasing is also available at €100 to €200 per month per user, says Vossebelt. A mobile-care pilot programme is testing the PDAs in the Netherlands, but the two partners have bigger plans – a joint venture company to capitalise on the need for more efficient elderly care throughout Europe, starting by selling and leasing the PDAs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, as well as Northern Italy. “We have a product that can be transported to any country,” claims Langer. Vossebelt says his agreement with Sanalogic allowed him to hire one employee in 2006. “I plan to hire three more people in 2007, to help with translation into Dutch and implementation across Europe.” “I have a very good feeling about this project,” says Langer. “An Englishlanguage version is our next step.” IRC contacts: The Netherlands Erik Kuipers IRC Netherlands Tel. +31 70 3735 284 [email protected] Austria Günter Scheide IRC Austria Tel. +43 512 582 661 6 [email protected] Company contacts: Wim Vossebelt Vossebelt & Kuijper

Tel. +31 800 235 6227 [email protected] http://www.vossebeltkuijper.nl/ Dietmar Langer Sanalogic GmbH Tel. +43 512 304 626 [email protected] http://www.sanalogic.com/

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Electronics and ITC

Yachting comfort on cruise control A young Maltese company supplying electromechanical automation systems for the luxury yachting sector no longer has to say ‘no’ to some of their customers’ more complex requests. Thanks to an IRCmediated partnership with established Italian specialists, the Maltese can now offer integrated control systems for the many ‘comfort’ features of a modern super-yacht. From small beginnings, the new company expects to tap into a fast growing market.

The island of Malta, set in the Mediterranean Sea is in one sense in an ideal location to deliver technical services to the leisure yacht industry. It is one of the prime locations visited by these vessels, and where many of them are based. But Malta is a small island with a restricted industrial base. This makes it a less-than-ideal location from which to deliver the most innovative developments in yachting technology. This was the dilemma that faced Stephen Vella, a Maltese entrepreneur with 10 years of experience working on marine electrical systems, especially on smaller yachts.

(Ref: TTT 1899)

Innovation from Italy “Our idea was to find a way to offer everything from Malta,” says Vella, but to achieve that would clearly require the involvement of a suitable foreign partner. Automated Technologies was set up with assistance from the Malta Enterprise organisation, which also hosts the IRC office in Malta. This link meant that the Maltese IRC became aware of the new company’s situation and were able to distribute their requirements across the IRC network, in search of a suitable partner. The successful response came through IRC RECITAL in Italy, who identified Yachtica of Viareggio in Italy as a promising option. The main area of operation in which assistance was needed was the installation of complex control systems for what are known as the ‘comfort features’ of a luxury yacht. There are a wide range of such features, including control of the temperature, air-conditioning, lighting levels, security camera networks, audiovisual entertainment systems, automatic doors and so on.

A valuable niche “I saw the yachts growing steadily from 35 metres, to 40 metres then nowadays even up to 60 metres or more, and these luxury super-yachts were coming in with increasingly sophisticated technical requests,” says Vella. Together with his business partner, Kenneth Bugeja, Vella saw that a valuable niche market was developing. This prompted them to set up a small spin-off company from their previous employers to cover the increasing demands of the super-yacht sector. Whereas the fledgling company, Automated Technologies, had clear opportunities, it was also faced with significant difficulties. The key difficulty was that some of the more complex requests could only be catered for by foreign companies operating in mainland Europe.

Success Story

The luxury yacht market demands easy control of every comfort. Courtesy, Yachtica

This is the field in which Yachtica are wellestablished specialists. “We build the electronic modules that control all the comfort-related devices within one programmable system,” explains Carlo Novelli, Yachtica’s commercial director.

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The control system works through the user choosing from a menu of scenarios, and the relevant systems are automatically adjusted to fit the scenario. So if the people on board the yacht wish to settle down and watch a DVD, for example, the scenario selection will not only control the audiovisual system, but will also ensure that the lighting and heating are adjusted to match that particular activity. And it can take account of the weather conditions, position of the boat and so on. Everything is thought of for customers who are used to that level of care and attention! An independent central console controlling the system is usually installed on the boat’s bridge, but commands can also be transmitted via hand-held remote control devices. The graphical interfaces are designed to be intuitive and therefore userfriendly. Systems like this are becoming more common in luxury homes, but have only recently spread widely across the marine market. “We are the first company worldwide to have explicitly applied homeautomation technology to create a dedicated product for the marine field,” says Novelli. Yachtica is developing a worldwide network of partners to deliver their technology across the globe, and Automated Technologies have now become their sole partner in Malta. This will allow Automated Technologies to sell and install customised solutions to the Maltese market, using the core technology supplied by Yachtica. The agreement includes a period of technical training for the Maltese partners in Italy, and comprehensive support with marketing strategies.

Navigating the future “It is going very well,” says Vella, although still in the early days of the agreement. He explains that Automated Technologies will begin by incorporating parts of the Yachtica technology into small-scale contracts. They will then work steadily towards being able to undertake full installations of completely integrated systems all by themselves. Vella is very confident that his company will find good business through the agreement, because his experience in the market tells him that the demand for these systems will

Success Story

continue to grow steadily. “Basically, it allows us to offer directly from Malta a service that would previously have had to be catered for indirectly, from people outside,” says Vella. In the long term, Vella can see opportunities for integrating the comfort systems on board with all the other control systems, governing the technical aspects of the boat, such as the engine control and navigation systems. This first experience with the IRC has led Vella to explore other possibilities with them, because he believes the IRC brings a significant advantage for a company like his in such a small country as Malta. He recounts that in the past he has tried to forge some foreign links but found it difficult. With his expertise being technical, rather than the business side, dealing with business people abroad could be very difficult. “Sometimes they can be inclined to just ignore us,” he explains, “but with the IRC I am able to do things the professional way, and this seems to be much more successful. It is actually great to have them there to help us.” Novelli is equally upbeat, commenting: “This is a really winning partnership and I am sure about the success we will have in the Maltese market.” IRC contacts: Malta Pierre Theuma IRC North Rhine-Westphalia/Malta Malta Enterprise Tel. +356 2398 0118 [email protected] Italy Susanna Chericoni IRC RECITAL, Italy Tel. +39 050 931620 [email protected] Company contacts: Stephen Vella Automation Technologies Tel. +356 2398 0169 [email protected] Carlo Novelli Yachtica S.r.l. Tel. +39 0584 38.33.54 [email protected]

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Life sciences

Making the mark with the IRCs Hungarian auditors are assisting a Turkish company to gain the ‘CE mark’ certificate required to sell its medical implant products in the EU, thanks to an IRCbrokered agreement. Meeting EU standards is a major issue for companies in candidate countries, and this example is a good illustration of how the IRC network can help.

As Europe develops into an ever more cohesive economic area, businesses in countries outside the EU face special challenges in becoming part of the European marketplace. One key issue is compliance with EU legislation and standards, and this is an area where the IRC network can provide valuable help, particularly to smaller firms, as the Turkish company Mikron Makina recently discovered.

The importance of CE marking Mikron Makina is an engineering manufacturing firm whose range of products includes specialised titanium spinal implants for the medical market. Whilst they also produce components for the automotive and defence industries, they have identified their medical products as especially suitable for selling within the EU. “We produce high quality implants at a competitive price,” says Mustafa Ekiz, the company’s quality manager, explaining why they perceive a good potential market outside Turkey. To tap their products’ potential, however, they need to acquire ‘CE marking’. The CE mark (for Conformité européenne) is often described as the ‘Trade Passport to Europe’ for nonEU products. It certifies that a product complies with the essential requirements of the relevant European health, safety and environmental protection legislations.

(Ref: TTT 1919)

The IRC link The potential benefits of acquiring CE marking became clear to Mikron Makina when IRC Anatolia helped the company to participate in a medical devices technology brokerage event in Birmingham, UK, in February 2005. Thanks to previous contacts through the Europe-wide IRC network, IRC Anatolia knew that experts were available in Hungary to help companies acquire CE marking. IRC Hungary was able to identify the Institute for Medical and Hospital Engineering (ORKI) in Hungary as an ideal partner for Mikron Makina. One advantageous factor was that ORKI already had a representative operating in Ankara, which would be able to act as a bridge between Mikron Makina and the Hungarian organisation. CE marking is generally obtained by working with a ‘notified body’, an organisation authorised by EU countries to serve as an independent testing and certification body able to carry out audit on the requirements of specific product directives. “Our organisation is a notified body, already involved in more than ten

Some of Mikron Makina’s spinal implants ©Mikron Makina

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certification processes in Turkey,” explains Csaba Nagy, ORKI’s director-general.

from as far afield as North and South America, China, Japan and Australia.

Thanks to the IRC’s role as an intermediary, a ‘commercial agreement with technical assistance’ was signed in July 2005, and ORKI has now begun the certification process. The work should involve assessing and certificating the quality system of Mikron Makina to gain the appropriate CE marking, and overseeing the paperwork and other procedures involved.

The role of IRCs is likely to become increasingly important in assisting foreign countries to meet EU standards and bring the advantages of their products to the citizens of EU Member States.

Ekiz believes that acquiring CE marking will help his company to meet its target of achieving a 10% annual increase in turnover. He expects this current initiative to be just a part of a continuing expansion into the EU market in future.

A growing need “Lots of companies need to acquire CE marking,” comments Fuat Berk Kirli of IRC Anatolia. “Experience with this agreement demonstrates that we are able to help local companies access the foreign consultancy assistance that they require.” Forging links between Turkish companies interested in acquiring CE marking and foreign organisations able to help them is an aspect of IRC Anatolia’s work that Kirli expects to grow in future. And this growth will only increase thanks to the formal opening of negotiations with Turkey on EU membership.

IRC contacts: Turkey Fuat Berk Kirli IRC Anatolia Tel. +90 312 210 64 00 – 121 Fax +90 312 210 64 03 [email protected] http://www.irc-anatolia.org.tr/ Hungary Eszter Szabo IRC Hungary Tel. +36 1 457 5361 Fax +36 1 457 5341 [email protected] http://irc.info.omikk.bme.hu/ Company contacts: Mustafa Ekiz Mikron Makina Tel. +90 312 395 17 00 Fax +90 312 395 87 29 [email protected] http://www.mikronmakina.com/ Csaba Nagy Institute for Medical and Hospital Engineering (ORKI) Tel. +36 1 356 1522 Fax +36 1 375 7253 [email protected] http://www.orki.hu/

Nagy also expects the demand for CE marking to make this a growing area for ORKI, and points out that they have already worked on more than 300 such contracts for companies worldwide. In addition to Europe, the clients have come

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Food

Adding spice to Greek firm’s product range French SME Revtech has developed a way of sterilising fragile and sensitive products such as herbs and spices. Their heat-treatment technology is perfect for high-value foodstuffs because it sterilises gently, without damaging a product’s taste and colour. Now, thanks to some IRC matchmaking, a Greek food company called Lira is using this breakthrough method of sterilisation to develop a new product range.

The food industry uses a range of methods to heat-treat and sterilise products to ensure that they are safe for consumers. However, traditional sterilisation methods, such as those that use large amounts of steam at high temperatures inside a pressurised vessel, can strip the natural oils from – or damage the protein content of – delicate foodstuffs. “Spices, herbs and medicinal plants are all sensitive to heat – they contain a lot of active substances like enzymes, essential oils or chlorophyll, which have to be preserved as much as possible during sterilisation,” explains Olivier Mimy from Revtech which is based in Charmes-surRhône, France. “Too much heat and too rich a steam atmosphere means you lose the oil and chlorophyll content.” This is a real problem for companies that want to sterilise and preserve high-value products. No one wants to buy herbs and spices that lack flavour. The impact of colour loss should not be underestimated either. Traditional sterilisation methods can also ‘cook’ products, turning green herbs to an unsightly yellow. Revtech’s continuous heat-treatment system was originally developed for the petrochemical industry and is capable of producing temperatures of between 600700ºC. But the company’s engineers found that by reducing temperatures to around 110-120ºC, they could steamSuccess Story

(Ref: TTT 1923)

sterilise sensitive, high-value foodstuffs without damaging them. As well as steam sterilisation, Revtech’s patented technology can also be used to dry, toast and roast a variety of foodstuffs.

International link-up Revtech’s system has been used by food companies in France, but now they are going international after two IRCs answered a call for help from a Greek firm that was looking for suitable equipment to sterilise their range of herbs, spices and nuts. Lira – a spice-packing company based in Pallini, Attica – carefully investigated its options and examined different types of heat treatment and equipment. ETAT, a partner in IRC Hellenic which has extensive experience in the food sector, helped Lira identify potential technology providers. That meant looking at a range of alternative sterilisation technologies, including steam-treatment systems, irradiation and microwave heating.

Staff at Lira using Revtech’s steam sterilisation equipment.

The breakthrough came when IRC Hellenic followed a lead it picked up in the IRC’s Agrofood Thematic Group meeting in September 2004. At the meeting, IRC SOFRAA presented Revtech’s innovative technology. The presentation was to bear

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fruit in June 2005 when IRC Hellenic realised that the French company’s heattreatment system could help Lira. The two IRCs helped the firms make initial contacts, and organised a visit by Lira to Revtech’s factory. The IRCs helped seal the technology transfer agreement, preparing terms and conditions and even assisting with translation.

New products

“Revtech’s steam treatment offered us the best-value technology for our needs,” explains Konstantinos Lirarakis, Lira’s president. “Other methods were too harsh, but Revtech’s system meant we would not have to compromise on colour and flavour.”

According to Lirarakis, using Revtech’s heat-treatment system will give his firm a competitive edge. “The technology means we will be the first spice company to offer

Lira has now started an advertising campaign to help sell the sterilised products it has been able to develop thanks to its use of Revtech’s technology. Lira has also taken part in a national food exhibition where it advertised the new method of sterilisation.

such a high-quality product to the Greek market place.”

Rapid response The technical and financial aspects of the deal between the two firms were quickly sorted out. “Lira’s request was quite urgent and the IRCs helped us work through negotiations in about three weeks, which is very fast,” explains Mimy. The heat-treatment machinery was only installed in January 2006, but both companies can already see real dividends. Mimy adds: “The agreement is great for us because it will help us to develop an international market – before this we had very little experience in selling our spice sterilisation technology in foreign countries because of a lengthy exclusivity agreement with a major spice company. “There’s no doubt that companies prefer to see things work before they invest in new and expensive machinery, so this agreement will act as a good example of what we can offer other food companies.” The company has already taken on an extra project engineer to help run the Lira contract.

IRC contacts: France Salvatrice Bufalino IRC SOFRAA Tel. +33 4 72 11 43 43 [email protected] http://www.arist.rhone-alpes.fr/ Greece Gorgias Garofalakis IRC Hellenic Tel. +30 210 927 0040 [email protected] http://www.etat.gr/ Company contacts: Olivier Mimy Revtech Tel. +33 4 75 60 16 26 [email protected] http://www.revtech.fr/ Konstantinos Lirarakis Lira S.A. Tel. +30 210 6665 824-5 [email protected] http://www.lira-spices.gr/

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Electronics and ICT

Taking Europe to South America!

(Ref: TTT 1983)

The IRC network has helped South American software company SOFTRON develop a valuable link with INCOMEDIA, an Italian company. SOFTRON will translate and adapt INCOMEDIA's website-building software for South American users. The agreement demonstrates the mutual benefits to be gained when South American and European companies develop links across the Atlantic. Such deals allow European technology to challenge the existing US dominance in this arena.

during which the companies were assisted by IRC Chile and IRC Alps in Italy. Within a few months the companies were ready to sign a formal licensing agreement, allowing SOFTRON to adapt Website X5 for South America. They plan to sell it in the six main countries in which they operate, namely Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Oscar Nuñez, general director of the South American software company SOFTRON, has a strong interest in tapping into the expertise in software applications that exists throughout Europe.

“This is a significant development for us as it is our first step into the South American market,” comments Federico Ranfagni, sales manager of INCOMEDIA.

“Up until now, our software licensing agreements have been entirely with US companies, but in my view European companies have significant strengths in applications software,” says Mr Nuñez.

Meeting at CEBIT

The essential adaptation required has been the translation into Spanish. This is now complete and marketing should begin in March 2006.

Although INCOMEDIA is a market leader in Italy, it is important for their future development to develop its sales in other countries. With the help of IRC Alps, that process is now under way in Europe, but the step across the Atlantic may be very important for them in the long term.

An excellent chance to explore the opportunities available in Europe came when Mr Nuñez attended the CEBIT 2005 information and communication technologies congress and Future Match brokerage event in Hanover Germany. The recently established IRC Chile office had promoted this event in Chile, and assisted SOFTRON and three other Chilean companies to participate. Mr Nuñez was impressed by the ‘Website X5’ software produced by INCOMEDIA of Italy, which allows anyone without specialised computing knowledge to create and publish high-quality websites on the internet. He became convinced that there could be a good market for this product in South America. The first contact with INCOMEDIA initiated a process of evaluation and negotiation

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Website X5 makes building a professional website very simple. Mr Ranfagni is very appreciative of the fact that, after CEBIT 2005, IRC Alps and IRC Chile organised a technological mission to Santiago de Chile, allowing his contacts in IRC Alps to collect good positive information about SOFTRON to

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feed back to INCOMEDIA. He comments: “This gave me confidence to proceed with the agreement without having to go out to Chile for myself.”

Simple but strong Federico Ranfagni emphasises that the great advantage of the INCOMEDIA software is its ease of use, without requiring any knowledge of HTML or any other programming skills. He believes this is what allows the software to be competitive against alternative solutions from the US and elsewhere. The program guides its users every step of the way, allowing them to define very quickly how they want their website to look, what information it should contain, and how the various parts of the site should be linked to one another and to external sites. SOFTRON have now used Website X5 to build their own corporate website, which demonstrates that it is a very professional system in addition to being easy to use. “Using it for our own site is the best way to show the market that we are very confident in it because it is a very strong product,” says Oscar Nuñez

Building bridges to Europe Oscar Nuñez has been sufficiently impressed with this first exploitation of what European software houses have to offer that he is planning a continuing presence in Europe. He comments: “One thing I want to emphasise is that we view this agreement as just the first step for our company in Europe. We definitely want to broaden our boundaries to take advantage of what European companies have available.” He feels that his company’s agreement with INCOMEDIA could serve as a good

model for many other companies in South America, which until now have relied predominantly on agreements with United States businesses for the import of specialised foreign expertise and technologies. Exploring opportunities from Europe would, he feels, bring advantages by reducing the current dependency on the US, and opening access to a wider range of possibilities for business partnerships. In the meantime, Oscar Nuñez will be returning to Hanover for CEBIT 2006 and its Future Match brokerage event, in search of further contacts, ideas and opportunities, as will INCOMEDIA.

IRC contacts: Chile Trinidad Cádiz IRC Chile Tel. +56 2 787 8401 [email protected] http://www.eurochile.cl/ Italy Chiara Soffietti IRC Alps Tel. +39 011 5716 322 [email protected] http://www.to.camcom.it/ Company contacts: Oscar Nuñez SOFTRON Tel. +56 2 345 9716 [email protected] http://www.softron.biz/ Federico Ranfagni INCOMEDIA Tel. +39 0125 252629 [email protected] http://www.websiteX5.com/

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Life sciences

Moving the molecule to market A German biopharmaceutical company with a possible treatment for Myasthenia Gravis has used the IRC network to find a partner to take the candidate drug through the next stage of its development. The Swiss partner has the specialist expertise essential to navigate the long road from molecule to market. The medical and commercial rewards for completing that journey could be considerable.

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a serious medical condition, usually caused when the body’s own immune system attacks the network for communications between nerves and muscles. It causes varying degrees of muscle weakness, which can be fatal. Any company developing an effective treatment for MG could have a big commercial success on their hands, in addition to the enormous benefit it would bring to patients The German biopharmaceutical company DeveloGen have preliminary results suggesting that a specific small molecule known as a peptide has potential as a treatment. Their peptide appears to modulate the immune response by stimulating specific changes in crucial cells called T-cells.

(Ref: TTT 2013) This initial success actually posed a problem, however. “This product for MG lies outside our normal business focus,” explains Karmann. “As a small company, we have to make sure that we don’t overstretch ourselves. So although we were very keen on the peptide’s possibilities we were looking for a partner to take on the full development and testing programme required to bring it to the market as a new drug.” This is where the IRC network proved its worth. DeveloGen used IRC North-RhineWestphalia/Malta to publicise their requirements across the network. This allowed them to be matched up with an offer of services from drug development company Debiopharm, of Switzerland, submitted through IRC SOFRAA. “We are very interested in the innovative approach of the peptide,” explains Florence Steinhauslin, immunology & inflammation director at Debiopharm and product development team leader for PTR262. “The concept of tackling the disease at its source, rather than just treating the symptoms offers a great improvement over current therapies.”

The need for a partner DeveloGen had initially licensed the rights to the peptide (known as PTR-262) from the YEDA Research & Development company of the Weizmann Institute in Israel. “Studies on animal models of MG have shown clear benefits,” explains Dr. Günther Karmann, CEO of DeveloGen. “The animals become able to move their limbs normally again, after having movement severely impaired by the disease.”

Success Story

PTR-262 treatment ameliorates Myasthenia gravis in animal models, DeveloGen AG

The next phase In the IRC-brokered deal, Debiopharm have acquired the rights to develop PTR262 and are currently checking the treatment again in animal models.

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Assuming the good potential is confirmed, this will lead into more detailed pharmacological and toxicological testing, followed by full clinical trials in real patients.

So by the time a successful drug reaches the market, it will have passed through at least four partners, from YEDA, to DeveloGen, to Debiopharm and on to the commercial manufacturer.

Several phases of testing will be required before the drug reaches the stage of registration for actual use. The trials will be accompanied by work to establish appropriate dosages and develop specific formulations to achieve effective delivery to patients. This is exactly the complex and time-consuming drug development process that Debiopharm are experts in, and which would have risked overstretching DeveloGen had they tried to achieve it on their own.

This kind of complex multi-partner process is often required to take a promising molecule from discovery to clinical use.

“Another benefit for DeveloGen is that Debiopharm are ready to take all the risks, including the financial ones, for the development process,” says Kim Bill, vicepresident, business development & licensing, at Debiopharm. Günther Karmann emphasises that the deal is a good demonstration of the way the IRC service allows companies with matching needs to approach each other without initially disclosing too much. He says that this would be very difficult for small companies looking around for partners on their own.

From lab to market Assuming the peptide lives up to its promise, Debiopharm will eventually choose the most appropriate pharmaceutical company as a further partner, to manufacture and sell the final product.

The commercial rewards could be very significant for both partners. “This is an important deal for us,” says Karmann, reflecting on the potential impact for his company. Florence Steinhauslin agrees: “We really hope this deal will provide a specific and effective drug for a disease that currently cannot really be treated.

IRC contacts: Germany Astrid Pauli IRC North Rhine-Westphalia/Malta phone +49 208 3 000 442 [email protected] http://www.zenit.de/ Switzerland Pascale Van Landuyt IRC SOFRAA phone +41 21 693 49 71 [email protected] http://www.alliance-tt.ch/CRI Company contacts: Günther Karmann DeveloGen AG phone +49 551 50558 525 [email protected] http://www.develogen.com/ Florence Steinhauslin Debiopharm phone +41 21 321 0111 [email protected] http://www.debio.com/

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Environment

Finnish company helps clear the air Finnish company Genano Oy makes highly effective air-purification systems that clean up to 99.5% of the ultra-fine particles that can be most harmful to human health. Based on its patented ionjet technology, Genano systems do away with traditional filters and their inherent limitations. With the IRC network’s help, the company has linked up with a British partner which can help it expand into a potentially lucrative new market in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Airborne pollutants generated by automobile exhaust, combustion and other industrial processes can be an irritant to almost anyone. They can prove especially harmful, even fatal, to extravulnerable people such as asthma sufferers, those with compromised immune systems, or people working with toxic substances. Consequently, there is a strong need for equipment to purify air in such places as hospital haematology units or burn wards, as well as other places where clean air is critically important.

(Ref: TTT 2021)

special agents, and flushing the lot away into a collection chamber. These systems clean indoor air of up to 99.5% of particle impurities ranging in size from 110,000 nm. They also target other contaminants such as viruses, volatile organic compounds and metal vapours – even DNA particles. “This is a robust, portable system that can grab particle masses, asbestos, gasses, you name it,” says John Lebeau, of Genano. Lebeau recounts how Genano helped a Polish hospital create clean-air isolation wards. “They could not tear out the Soviet-era infrastructure of the building. Using Genano units, they did not need to tear out the ducting or to use filters. That saved them a lot of money in renovation costs.” Unit prices range from €5,500 up to €10,000 for HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) units.

Air pollution’s worst health effects are caused by particles smaller than 0.1 micrometer (µm). One cubic centimetre of air reportedly contains 10,000-30,000 of such ultra-fine particles. But the most commonly available indoor air-cleaning technology today only removes particles down to about 0.3 µm in size.

Enjoy breathing Since 1998, Finnish company Genano Oy, whose motto is “Enjoy breathing!”, has produced air-cleaning systems that remove particles as small as 0.001 µm, or 1 nanometre (nm) (1 billionth of a metre). Genano’s patented multifunction-ion (MFI) method employs negative-ion jets that push charged and uncharged particles on to positive-charged surfaces, neutralising and disinfecting noxious particles with

Success Story

Air impurities flushed into the receptacle of a Genano 310 unit.

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Spreading the word

“We had tried a lot of databases, costing thousands of euros, and essentially had got no results,” says Lebeau. Then Genano submitted an updated profile to IRC Finland. “The IRC produced surprisingly fast responses, many within a week,” he continues. “They really went out and pushed our name around.” One of the first and best responses came through IRC SW England, from Wessex Power Technology Ltd, of Dorset, UK, which applies and supplies instrumentation to pharmaceutical, medical and dental laboratories. With IRC help, the two companies made contact through e-mail and telephone conversations. “We visited Genano’s offices in Helsinki,” says Wessex’s Nigel Barfoot. “We had to feel comfortable that the product could be applied to the market we represent, and it certainly can. This technology either matches or substantially outperforms anything else on the UK market.” The IRC-brokered agreement enables Genano to transfer its technology to the UK and Ireland, where there is increasing demand for sophisticated clean air systems. Genano began training Wessex personnel in January. “It is not just, ‘sign the paper, here is the machine’. We have to be very hands-on,” Lebeau explains. Barfoot says Wessex Power’s initial primary target market will be dental laboratories which employ a wide range of silicones, plastics and acrylics and grind them. “That is a market that has been successful in Finland.” There are about 2,500 dental laboratories in the UK, says Barfoot. “We hope to sell 30 to 50 units in the first year.”

Wessex also plans to approach other organisations for which clean air is important, such as day-care and elderly care centres, hotels, museums and archives. Another potential application would be buildings suffering from “sickbuilding syndrome,” says Barfoot. “Anybody in a closed building can be exposed to cold and flu germs circulating in air-conditioning and ventilation.” Happy with its new UK partner, Genano has also signed a contract through the IRC network with a partner in Italy, explains Lebeau. “We could have figured out these markets for ourselves, but it would have taken much longer, and we would have had a few doors slammed in our faces first!”

IRC contacts: Finland Juuso Hannu IRC Finland Tel. +358 10 605 5732 [email protected] http://www.ircfinland.fi United Kingdom Chris Pinnell IRC South West England Tel. +44 117 933 0245 [email protected] http://www.southwest-irc.org.uk/ Company contacts: John Lebeau Genano Oy Tel. +358 9 7743 8738 [email protected] http://www.genano.fi/ Nigel Barfoot Wessex Power Technology Ltd Tel. +44 120 272 3000 [email protected] http://www.wessexpower.co.uk/

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Life sciences

Lightweight tool to measure bone atrophy in space A bone-health research project sponsored by the European Space Agency needed to find a partner specialising in ultrasound equipment and methods for measuring bone strength. With the IRC network’s help, they found the person they needed at an institute in Latvia. As it turned out, he had already developed a prototype ultrasound device, saving the project years of work.

One of the biggest health risks faced by astronauts on long missions is bone loss that can weaken the skeleton, particularly the leg bones, hip and spine, a condition similar to osteoporosis. This is because space flight’s low gravity conditions remove the normal load carried by the skeleton, so bone adapts by changing structure.

(Ref: TTT 2220)

dynamics and imaging,” says MPICI’s Peter Saparin, the project director. “We needed a partner specialising in developing equipment and using ultrasound for bone research.” IRC Northern Germany helped find one.

A time-saving partnership Using the IRC database, a keyword search turned up several possible partners, in France, Germany, Poland and Latvia. After initial contact and a thorough evaluation, the choice was easy, admits Saparin. “The Latvian team at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomechanics is well known for its expertise in ultrasound theory. Most importantly, they already had an easily adjustable prototype, saving us many, many years of work. We’re very happy with the IRC network’s help.”

The Department of Biomaterials at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI) in Potsdam, Germany, recently completed a five-year study on methods to quantify the effects of low gravity on bone structure. Currently, the only ways to assess this are complex and impracticable for use in space. Sponsored by the European Space Agency, the research project ‘2D and 3D Quantification of Bone Structure and its Changes in Microgravity Condition by Measures of Complexity’ aimed, among other objectives, to develop a lightweight, non-invasive method for measuring trabecular bone structure in space, without exposing astronauts to radiation. This would also be helpful on earth – osteoporosis affects an estimated 200 million earthlings, mostly women, including one-third of females aged 30-70 and two-thirds over 80. The project team decided a quantitative ultrasound sonography (QUS) device was the most promising method. “Our problem was that we are physicists and physicians specialising in bone research, non-linear Success Story

The QUS device requires only a few seconds of access from one side of the leg

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Alexey Tatarinov had developed his QUS device with his team in Riga. To continue testing and development, he needed a partner and funding. On a friend’s advice, he posted a technology offer through IRC Latvia. “A couple of projects, from France and Germany, approached me, but their work didn’t correspond exactly to mine. One day I received a call from Germany.” The MPICI dispatched its consultant Wolfgang Gowin to Latvia to see Tatarinov’s work. After about a month of e-mail and telephone negotiations, the two institutes signed a joint research agreement for a nine-month project.

A new way to measure bone strength Long bones are essentially tubes, with walls of cortical bone and a spongy interior network called trabecular bone. Using a pair of low-frequency ultrasound transducers and weighing about 1.2 kg, Tatarinov’s device can be operated by a layperson or even for self-examination. To measure, it only requires a few seconds of access from one side of the leg. “I went to Berlin with my travelling laboratory in my bag,” says Tatarinov. There, at MPICI’s partner, the Centre of Muscle and Bone Research, Charité − University Medicine Berlin, the joint research team measured trabecular bone mineral density in human proximal tibia specimens and healthy volunteers in vivo. First, they assessed trabecular bone structure from QCT axial slices, and then they carried out ultrasound measurements in the same area. They found that, “In osteoporotic bone with sparse trabecular architecture, higher wave frequencies prevailed,” says Tatarinov. Various ultrasound wave properties – height, frequency slope and

shifts of peak frequencies, intensity, speed and attenuation – corresponded with degrees of trabecular structure. In other words, “We proved that it’s possible to evaluate bone structure with ultrasound,” explains Saparin. “We also merged knowledge and expertise from two fields – CT image analysis and ultrasound – to study bone structure.” The next step for the two partners is a new ESA-funded project to further develop the ultrasound technique and device on earth, and perhaps in four to five years, test it on the International Space Station. Tatarinov, who with coauthors published research results in the Journal of Gravitational Physiology, says the device still needs refinement. “But it should be very good for controlling bone atrophy in space, and osteoporosis on earth.”

IRC contacts: Latvia Gundega Lapina IRC Latvia Tel. +371 7540 703 [email protected] Germany Arndt Ulland IRC Northern Germany Tel. +49 335 5571 608 [email protected] Company contacts: Dr Peter Saparin Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials Tel. +49 331 5679 446 [email protected] http://www.mpikg-golm.mpg.de Dr Alexey Tatarinov Institute of Biomaterials and Biomechanics Tel. +371 729 3476 [email protected]

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Materials and transport

Logistics make freight roll faster A German logistics company, LogControl, and a Greek SME, Elogistics, have developed a new software system that helps Greek freight travel by road more efficiently. It links lorry space with warehousing to get products to their destination much faster than before. The companies met at a seminar held in Athens, organised by two Innovation Relay Centres, to spread the results of research on freight control.

Making road freight as efficient as possible benefits business and the environment alike. Goods get to where they are needed in the minimum time, and full use is made of truck capacity and movements, cutting road congestion and exhaust emissions. An EU-funded project, Rolling Stock, developed new software to track individual items of freight, which was an innovative development in the technique of supply chain management. Within the Rolling Stock project, the software was developed by LogControl GmbH, Pforzheim. Administration lay with the Institute of Applied Research in the University of Pforzheim. The Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum – which also hosts the local Innovation Relay Centre – was responsible for dissemination activities throughout Europe for the project. “We wanted to inform companies and consultants about the potential of our new product,” recalls Ewald Mader of LogControl. “We thought that the best way was to take a road show to different European countries to explain how it worked.”

Rolling Stock goes on the road With easy access to the local IRC, it was an obvious step to put out a technology offer across the IRC network. One strong response came from IRC Help-Forward in Greece, where transport and logistics forms a small but vibrant sector with a number of potential collaborators. The two IRCs organised a seminar in Athens, at

Success Story

(Ref: TTT 800) which LogControl was able to present its results to possible end-users, companies and researchers in the transport sector. The seminar, held in July 2003, was very successful. A select number of companies and university research departments came along, including Elogistics GR AE. “We found the ideas presented very new and interesting,” comments Nikos Marnieros of Elogistics. The following day LogControl held face-to-face meetings with individual companies, of whom Elogistics was among the most enthusiastic. The two companies soon found that they had more in common than they had previously thought.

New software helps in logistics management, enabling goods to get to their destination more efficiently.

Supply chain management At the heart of the Rolling Stock Monitor is a web-based information platform. Any source with information relevant to the supply chain can independently feed data into it in XML format, regardless of their own software. The system receives data on stocks, orders, warehouse space and management, availability of trucks, space on them and where they are going. It is able to identify a specific article of freight and follow its journey, assisting production planning at the arrival point. Essentially, Rolling Stock Monitor networks delivery chains so that users can easily identify ways to improve their

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performance. It cuts costs, helps warehouse management with loading and unloading on the ramp and optimises freight transport flows. “We soon realised that LogControl was offering a great opportunity to get together in an area where both of our companies had already invested a great deal,” enthuses Marnieros. “The chemistry between the two companies worked from the start and we realised that if we brought our expertise together we could develop new modules which could be introduced directly into the Greek market.” The module most suitable for this treatment was the warehouse management system. In Greece, unlike many other European countries, warehousing is organised separately from road haulage, so anyone who wants to send goods by road has to book space in a truck. “We had not considered entering the Greek market,” comments Mader, “but Elogistics’ knowledge of local conditions enabled us to develop together a cheap module, which SMEs could buy to develop logistics management of their warehouse stocks and despatch. It became the first system of its kind on the Greek market.” This new module has enabled small companies to start logistical control in their supply chains, with the possibility of buying further compatible modules as their companies grow. “Customer comments have been very positive,” adds Marnieros. “The first application faced some problems because of our local methods of invoicing. We were able to iron them out and now we are convinced that we offer a good system at a very competitive price.”

Incremental benefits The IRC network has therefore been instrumental in spreading the results of an EU research project to a country where the developer had no prior contacts or interests. “We have translated all our programmes into Greek, using the Greek alphabet throughout,” adds Mader. “Even

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the smallest Greek companies now find it simple to adopt.” Both companies have gained commercially from their agreement. Elogistics has already created one new job, with further expansion planned, and increased its turnover by 3-5%. “We project considerable growth,” comments Marnieros. “There are three current installations, with another four or five planned this year and twenty or more in the following year.” And the story continues. The synergy between the two SMEs proceeds through visits and informal contacts. They are continuing their technical co-operation in new joint projects and are even considering submitting a proposal for a joint R&D project to the Commission. “We would like to introduce a forecasting module onto the Greek market, when the warehouse management system is fully established,” says Marnieros. Both companies agree that without the IRC network, which they had both used previously, they would never have come across each other, and these benefits would not have been possible. IRC contacts: Germany Ms Heike Fischer IRC Stuttgart-Erfurt-Zurich Steinbeis-Europa Zentrum Tel. +49 711 123 4014 [email protected] Greece Mr Dimitrios Tsamouras IRC Help-Forward Tel. +30 210 360 7690 [email protected] Company contacts: Mr Ewald Mader LogControl GmbH Tel. +49 7231 580480 [email protected] Mr Nikos Marnieros Elogistics GR AE Tel. +30 210 5785 180 [email protected]

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Life sciences

‘Shrinking’ mobility aid for the obese A UK company has reached an agreement with an Estonian firm for the manufacture of an innovative mobility aid product – thanks to a deal brokered in a hospital ward after one of the potential partners was admitted for treatment. The two firms were brought together through contacts made between their local Innovation Relay Centres, and now the new device, which is designed to help obese patients get around more easily, is attracting interest in the lucrative US market.

As negotiations go, it was unforgettable. Instead of meeting in a boardroom, the potential partners gathered to discuss the technology transfer agreement around a hospital bed. “It was an unusual first meeting,” recalls Graham Hunter, from UKbased Somerwood Limited, who had travelled to Estonia in search of a subcontractor to manufacture an innovative mobility aid product.

(Ref: TTT 877)

making, and he knew they had found their partner.

Design challenge Somerwood’s wheeled walking aid is designed for a niche market. The growth in the number of larger-framed or obese people requiring walking aids has thrown up some design challenges. A typical conventional walking aid is made of aluminium, weighs around 9kg and is designed for someone weighing 100kg at most. The problem is, an increasing number of people with walking difficulties are also very overweight. Hunter explains: “If a large or obese person tries to use many of the existing walking aids they are either too narrow and are not strong enough, or they are so big they won’t fit through doorways.”

Just before the meeting, his Estonian counterpart Tanel Joost had been admitted unexpectedly to hospital. Confined to a wheelchair since his back was broken in a car accident in 1991, Joost is accustomed to overcoming business obstacles. “I asked if they could come and see me there, and we had the meeting right next to my bed,” he says.

A helping hand Something obviously clicked. Hunter, an experienced medical supplies executive with a patented design for a wheeled walking aid – the Somerwood Rollator – was seeking a European manufacturer who could both help cut production costs and also make a contribution in terms of ideas and experience. “What we were hoping for was a bit more involvement with a company that could help us develop the Rollator and suggest changes to make it easier to manufacture,” he explains. After the hospital meeting they toured OÜ Händikäpp Imidž’s factory in Tartu, Estonia. Hunter saw the range of existing products for the handicapped the company was

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The rollator in use. © Somerwood Ltd

Width adjustor The Somerwood Rollator is a sturdy ironframed walking aid with a patented cogwheel-driven width adjustor that allows the aid to expand to a comfortable size for patients weighing up to 290kg – almost three times the design weight for most existing rollators. The device itself, at 15kg, is heavier as well as stronger, but is designed to roll smoothly and its width can be reduced using the cogwheel so it passes easily through narrow stairways, corridors or doors. There is also a

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built-in seat if the patient needs to rest. The rollator sells for £325 (€475), or around three times the price of some lighter aluminium walking aids. Given the added functionality and performance, Somerwood believes this is the correct price-point. However, when they tried to have the rollators made in the UK, there was a problem. “Production costs were so high that we just did not have enough left after overheads and marketing to make a profit,” says Hunter. A potential Chinese partner appeared with an offer that would have cut unit costs by around 90%, but for insurance reasons Somerwood wanted to keep production in Europe. Through contacts generated by IRC East of England and IRC Estonia, the two-person company was paired up with OÜ Händikäpp Imidž, an Estonian SME that was already making a range of aids for the handicapped in the Baltic States and Scandinavia. “We had some ideas about how to manufacture the rollator more efficiently, and make the construction stronger and more reliable,” says Joost.

Unit costs halved Unit constructions costs were still higher than the Chinese offer, but were less than half those in the UK, providing reasonable margins and allowing Somerwood to avoid the extra problems of sourcing in the Far East. “What we hope to get out of it are more orders and the possibility of working more closely with the UK market – possibly finding other products and other partners,” he continues. In addition, the challenge of making the rollator has taken them into new areas of activity. They are now working with plastics, laser cutting and more sophisticated milling. The seats are imported from Taiwan and the wheels from Germany. “I value this contract very much. Mostly we are involved in subcontracting, but with this product we are taking it up to the packaging stage. It is a development in terms of the sophistication of our operation,” says Joost.

Expanding markets The transnational technology transfer (TTT) agreement involves subcontracted

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production for Somerwood, and allows OÜ Händikäpp Imidž to sell the rollator in the Baltic States and Scandinavia. At present, volumes are still small, with production in batches of 50, but both companies are more than satisfied with the potential for the future. Somerwood, for example, is impressed by a high-level rollator currently being produced by the Estonian company. Designed for people with spinal injuries, this rollator supports the patient at shoulder height rather like a crutch. They have arranged to take this device to the UK in order to put it through the rigorous testing required to get CE marking, to show it meets European standards. This will allow it to be sold throughout Europe. The big prize, though, would be to break into the American market with the Somerwood Rollator. The problem of obesity is even greater in the US than in Europe and although entering this market could mean larger product liability insurance premiums, Hunter has already had evidence of the potential scale of orders. “We had a contact from the American Veterans’ Association. They were interested in us quoting to supply all their rollators. Apparently, they buy 20,000 annually for their veterans,” he concludes. IRC contacts: United Kingdom Andrew Goldsbrough IRC East of England Tel. +44 1223 421117 [email protected] Estonia Paul Pallin IRC Estonia Tel. +372 7 428 177 [email protected] Company contacts: Graham Hunter Somerwood Ltd Tel. +44 7850 182730 [email protected] Tanel Joost OÜ Händikäpp Imidž Tel. +372 5 659 040 [email protected]

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Industrial technology

Sweet dreams of success A business deal with a Belgian firm is helping Icelanders sleep more easily. Thanks to an agreement set up with the help of the Innovation Relay Centres network, an Icelandic bed company is selling individually adjusted beds designed to make bad backs and restless nights a thing of the past. The Belgian inventors of the system say the deal is proving an ideal stepping-stone to tackling the wider European market.

When Valdimar Grimsson travelled to Belgium to see a patented system for individually customising beds, he did not need to sleep on it before making up his mind. “It took me ten minutes to decide that this was the technology for us,” says Grimsson, from Lystadún-Marco, a specialist bed supplier based in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik. “I lay down on the test-bed that measures your weight and profile, and within minutes the computer-based system had re-shaped the bed so that it was a perfect fit,” he remembers. The LS Bedding Ergosleep bed system is based on moveable slats on the bed base, which can be adjusted in pairs to four different heights, giving scores of different profiles to suit nearly every conceivable body type. Frank Verschuere, LS Bedding’s managing director, explains that when it comes to beds, one size definitely does not fit all. “Our bodies are all different. It does not make sense that we should all sleep in more or less the same bedding systems. That would be just like selling clothes all in the same size. Today, back pain is a major problem, and while it is not all about our sleeping position, that can be a major factor,” says Verschuere.

Test studio At the core of the LS Bedding system is the automated test studio with a measuring bed and a computer. A would-

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(Ref: TTT 916) be customer is asked to lie on the measuring bed and, using a sophisticated programme with data from thousands of previous customers, the bed registers the user’s build and converts the readings into a chart. To achieve the ideal sleep settings, five areas of the body are examined: the head, shoulders, lumbar region, pelvis and legs. As the customer lies comfortably, tiny motors automatically adjust the pairs of slats so that each part of the body has the recommended amount of support. The finished bed has a fixed profile, but the slats are designed to flex as the sleeper moves about. Special mattresses supplied with the system provide additional comfort and support, and the slats can be readjusted to allow for changes in body weight, or pregnancy.

A customer’s body is measured on the Ergosleep test bed. © LS Bedding NV

Special mattresses “We think that in getting the right fit, the ergonomically designed slat position is 70% of the solution, the flexing ability of the slats is 15% and the mattress the other 15%,” says Verschuere. The company says its mattresses differ from conventional ones in the way in which they accommodate the body and distribute the pressure. Each mattress core has at least five ‘comfort zones’, constructed in a specific way so that the

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mattress conforms to the shape of the body.

company says it is more than pleased with the economics of the deal.

The adjustable beds are priced to appeal to customers towards the top end of the market, but LS Bedding insists that at €700-€1,000 for a double bed, they are by no means the most expensive option. Some models have motors fitted so they can be reclined or raised up, and there is a low-profile version that offers three different slat positions rather than four. For double beds, LS Bedding recommends buying two separately adjustable bed bases and using either separate mattresses or a 1.8m wide double-bed mattress.

Lystadún-Marco had been actively looking for something of this type using the IRC network, and LS Bedding admits that most of the momentum came from the Icelanders. As a small SME, the Belgian company had previously limited its sales drive mainly to what it regards as its home market of the Benelux countries.

It was the all-in solution including the measuring test bed and high degree of customisation that sold the deal to Lystadún-Marco. The company has its main shop in Reykjavik with one of the automated test beds, and two other outlets. It sells other bed makes, including one popular model based on spring technology that also provides varying support to individual parts of the body. However, Grimsson says that the degree of customisation available with the Ergosleep system outstrips the competition by a comfortable margin.

Customisable “The Ergosleep system is more expensive than our other beds, but interest is growing a lot. Of course, people with back problems are part of that, but there are also some customers who just want the best bed they can buy. The biggest problem we have is getting people to lie down on the test bed. Some people just want to browse and the process does take a few minutes. But once they try it they are sold,” he adds. Iceland has a relatively small population of just 300,000 people and LystadúnMarco now sells around 300 Ergosleep beds a year. The investment in the test bed was paid back inside a year, and the

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“Until now we have not been trying to push our markets out too far, because we are quite a small company and this product needs to have committed, specialist retailers who understand the bedding market and the needs of customers,” Verschuere explains. “Lystadún-Marco was very pro-active. For us the deal has been an important test of the business case for expanding into new markets. Now we are starting to think about looking at Scandinavian countries, France, Germany, Spain and even the UK.”

IRC contacts: Belgium Magali Parent IRC Flanders Tel. +32 2 209 09 60 [email protected] Iceland Birkir Gudmundsson IRC W & S Sweden and Iceland Tel. +354 570 7111 [email protected] Company contacts: Frank Verschuere LS Bedding NV Tel. +32 50 729970 [email protected] Valdimar Grimsson Lystadún-Marco Tel. +354 533 3500 [email protected]

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Materials and transport

Flexible concrete for safer roads The Belgian precast concrete company Omnibeton has used the IRC network to find exactly the kind of innovative product they needed to counteract a decline in their traditional market. They have licensed the Delta Bloc safety barrier system from Delta Bloc Europa in Austria. This is enabling Omnibeton to grow turnover again, while providing Delta Bloc with a valuable new outlet for their technology.

With over 40,000 Europeans killed and 1.7 million injured in road accidents every year, the need for road safety measures is clear. And when accidents do happen, we appreciate how important it is for the vehicles involved to be contained within their own carriageway. Vehicles that crash through barriers can cause many additional injuries, by colliding with traffic coming in the opposite direction, by careering off the side of the road or plunging from a bridge. The precast concrete suppliers MABA of Austria have created a subsidiary company, Delta Bloc Europa, to market their specialised Delta Bloc safety barrier internationally. In one particular deal, the IRC network has helped bring the technology to Belgium.

Unique advantages “The unique thing about Delta Bloc is that it is flexible, unlike standard rigid concrete barriers,” says Mathias Redlberger, manager of Delta Bloc Europa. He explains that individual concrete elements containing internal steel are linked by strong couplings. This creates what is in one sense a flexible steel chain but with a rigid concrete exterior to each element. The unique construction method allows the advantages of steel and of concrete to be combined within one system. The flexibility assists in absorbing shock and promoting more controlled deceleration of

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(Ref: TTT 0930) any vehicle that collides with the barrier. And the modular design of linked units also promotes flexibility in the other sense of the word - allowing barriers to be constructed to suit any location, and facilitating easy transport to the site. The Delta Bloc system fulfils the requirements of European Standard EN 1317 for road restraint systems, and other relevant standards. Being able to fulfil these requirements with a system that is flexible, in both senses, is a key selling point for Delta Bloc. Other important factors are that it is economical to produce and is readily assembled without complex construction methods.

Delta Bloc’s flexible safety barrier has undergone rigorous testing

A quick agreement MABA attracted the attention of IRC Austria when it won an innovation award for the Lower Austria region. When IRC Austria contacted MABA to offer their services, the company became interested in using the IRC network to search for new partners throughout Europe. Details of the technology were publicised throughout the network, attracting the interest of the precast concrete supplier Omnibeton, a client of IRC Flanders in Belgium. “The EN 1317 standard was not compulsory in Belgium until quite

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recently,” says Johnny Kellens, administrator of Omnibeton, explaining one of the factors that made his company interested in Delta Bloc. With the assistance of IRC Flanders, Frank Peeters, Omnibeton’s owner, and Kellens were soon able to meet Mathias Redlberger in Belgium to discuss possible cooperation. A few weeks later they were in Austria to sign a deal allowing them to manufacture and sell Delta Bloc in Belgium. This has given Omnibeton a significant competitive advantage in their own market, now that compliance with EN 1317 is obligatory in Belgium.

But most important, now it means we don’t just sell concrete, we really sell safety!” The Delta Bloc deal has allowed Omnibeton to keep out of difficult times and return to steady growth. The company expects Delta Bloc to be “the most important engine driving future growth in turnover.” This is the first time that Omnibeton has imported technology from another country, and the deal is also the first time that either Omnibeton or MABA have used the IRC network. Both companies are interested in making further use of the IRC in future.

An engine for growth “We now have only two or three competitors in this area, where previously we had about 25 to 30,” says Kellens. “So this technology transfer from Austria is proving very important for us.” He explains that the market in Omnibeton’s traditional areas, focused on low-tech concrete applications, had been getting increasingly difficult, with many competitors leading to falling profit margins. To combat this downturn, the company had been looking for new hightech products for some years, but without success. “Now with Delta Bloc we have found it,” says Kellens, “because it is a high-end specialised product with better margins.” Emphasising where these higher profit margins come from, he comments: “Delta Bloc Europa invested a lot of money in developing this line of products, which we could never do on our own. And probably no other precast concrete company in Belgium could, even with the right idea.

IRC contacts: Austria Kurt Burtscher IRC Austria - FFG (EIP) phone +43 5 7755 4701 [email protected] http://www.irca.at/ Belgium Magali Parent IRC Flanders phone +32 2 209 09 60 [email protected] http://www.iwt.be/irc/ Company contacts: Mathias Redlberger Delta Bloc Europa phone +43 2622 400 141 [email protected] http://www.deltabloc.com/ Johnny Kellens Omnibeton phone +32 11 211 461 [email protected] http://www.omnibeton.be/

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