NanoKTN Supports Expansion of University spin-out to world-leading nanotech company

The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), one of the UK’s primary knowledge-based networks for micro and nanotechnologies, is pleased to announce the success of one of its members, Nanoco. In the past ten years, Nanoco has grown from a university spin-out, with technology developed at the University of Manchester and Imperial College London, to one of the UK’s most significant nanotechnology companies. Dr Nigel Pickett, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder Professor Paul O’Brien, believe that the active support and promotion provided by the NanoKTN has been of great value in the Company’s development.

Founded and initially based at the University of Manchester, Nanoco is a world leader in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots. The Company’s unique technology, which for the first time has allowed the mass production of quantum dots, has led to commercial agreements with blue-chip industrial and consumer goods organisations in product areas including electronics, lighting and solar energy. The commercial potential of Nanoco’s technology was underlined when the Company joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in May 2009.

Last year, Nanoco commissioned a production plant in Runcorn, Cheshire and quickly achieved a significant milestone with the world’s first large-scale production of quantum dots. The Company produced a 1kg batch of red cadmium-free quantum dots for a Japanese customer.

The NanoKTN has worked closely with Nanoco providing advice and guidance on funding, policies and relevant markets. Nanoco has presented at a number of NanoKTN events, including the annual Nano4Energy conferences and the European and International missions to Germany and Japan. Nanoco believes actively engaging as a member of the NanoKTN has provided the Company with crucial market intelligence about business services in the UK, as well as providing opportunities to identify possible collaborative partners with specific expertise.

Nanoco’s management team values the marketing and networking opportunities provided by the NanoKTN and sees the committed support from its staff as helpful to the success of the Company. "The NanoKTN events have been invaluable to us as a business. The presentations have kept us informed of industry developments and we have used a number of the events as a platform to introduce our technologies directly to our target audience, which has led to us securing new agreements,” comments Dr Michael Edelman, Chief Executive Officer of Nanoco.

"Nanoco is another great success story coming from a UK university – spinning out a nanotechnology application from the University of Manchester and growing it into the thriving global business that Nanoco is today. The NanoKTN will continue to work with Nanoco and other UK nanotechnology businesses to ensure that UK nanotechnology is securely embedded in the global market,” added Dr Martin Kemp, Theme Manager at the NanoKTN.

As part of its on-going commitment to Nanoco, the NanoKTN has written and circulated a case study about the company’s quantum dot technology at NanoKTN events and via the NanoKTN’s website. This acts as both a tool to raise Nanoco’s profile and a means of increasing awareness of the Company within key market sectors.

The NanoKTN’s primary aim is to encourage and support UK organisations to collaborate and share knowledge with key partners in attractive end user markets to achieve growth of the UK micro and nanotechnology sector.

Further information about the NanoKTN can be found on the website at www.nanoktn.com