PARTNERSHIPS
01/01/2006
Accelrys Inc., a San Diego maker of scientific modeling software, announced a strategic relationship with Microsoft Corp. designed to meet demand for scientific software that runs on the Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, Microsoft’s high-performance computing software.
Arrowhead Research Corp., a Pasadena, Calif., funder and developer of nanotechnology research and companies, announced that it will work with Duke University to develop nanotube-based interconnects as a replacement for copper in computer chips. Arrowhead has agreed to provide approximately $680,000 in funding over the next two years to develop the technology. In exchange, Arrowhead will have the exclusive right to license the resulting intellectual property and commercialize the process developed at Duke.
Clariant International Ltd., a Muttenz, Switzerland, specialty chemicals company, announced a broad-based strategic alliance with Starfire Systems Inc., a Malta, N.Y., developer of polymer-derived nanostructured ceramics. The joint effort will target such industries as automotive, aerospace, and microelectronics and work toward the development of new technology and applications in nanostructured ceramic materials and coatings.
Dendritic Nanotechnologies Inc. of Mt. Pleasant, Mich., and Lumera Corp. of Bothell, Wash., announced that they have entered into a joint research agreement to co-develop proprietary surface chemistries suitable for specific applications of Lumera’s label-free array reader, ProteomicProcessor. Under the agreement, Dendritic will build chemistries on proprietary Lumera surfaces, focusing efforts on using their expertise and patent holdings in the area of dendrimers. Lumera will use their proprietary instrument designs and biological systems to test and evaluate the dendrimer-based approaches.
Headwaters Inc. announced that DegussaHeadwaters, a joint venture of Degussa AG of Dusseldorf, Germany, and Headwaters of South Jordan, Utah, is building a demonstration plant for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide in Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany. The company has been developing a new method of synthesizing hydrogen peroxide for direct use as an oxidant in chemical processes and intends to build, own and operate hydrogen peroxide plants for supply to chemical producers around the world. The process uses a nanocatalyst developed by Headwaters to react hydrogen and oxygen to form hydrogen peroxide.
NanoDynamics Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y., and ALD NanoSolutions Inc. of Broomfield, Colo., announced a partnership to develop coatings for electronics applications. NanoDynamics says that it has developed a new manufacturing approach, using ALD’s atomic layer deposition technology, to create uniform, nanometer thick coatings that encapsulate powders along with other elements. The company says the approach enables them to retain inherent thermal and conductive properties while eliminating reactivity and functionality issues.
Nano-Proprietary Inc. of Austin, Texas, announced that its subsidiary, Applied Nanotech Inc., entered into an agreement with Shimane Masuda Electronics Co. Ltd. in Japan to establish a joint pilot line for the development and production of carbon nanotube electron emission-based lighting devices. The pilot line will be located in Shimane Masuda’s facility and Shimane Masuda will supply all necessary equipment and personnel to develop, engineer, and operate the line. Applied Nanotech will contribute technical support, intellectual property, and know-how.
Sarnoff Corp. of Princeton, N.J., announced a five-year strategic agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co. of Fairfax, Va., to explore commercialization opportunities for ExxonMobil’s portfolio of mesoporous materials for markets outside of the petrochemical industry. Under the agreement, Sarnoff will work with ExxonMobil to position the materials in markets such as electronics and optics.
US Modular, a designer and manufacturer of personal memory and storage products, announced a deal with QuantumSphere Inc. to develop high-performance batteries for consumer electronic equipment. QuantumSphere is a manufacturer of metallic nanopowders for applications in aerospace, defense, energy, electronics and other markets demanding advanced material applications. The two Irvine, Calif.-based companies will work together to develop high-performance, small form-factor, low-cost universal portable batteries for laptops, MP3 players, cell phones, and the next generation of media players.