Particles

07/01/2004

Compiled by Sue Forsythe

Intel's Ireland investment

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Intel Corp., under an agreement with the Irish Development Authority, plans an additional $2 billion investment in its facilities in Ireland. The investment will include an additional 60,000 square feet of cleanroom manufacturing space and the necessary manufacturing equipment to enable 65-nm process technology within both Fab 24-2 and existing Fab 24 facilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, Intel will receive grants and other potential incentives as it continues to invest in Ireland. Production is expected to begin the first half of 2006.

Polymer partnership

CHASKA, Minn.—Entegris, Inc. and Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI) have entered into a joint agreement to develop and commer-cialize new polymer products. CNI's single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) will be incorporated into Entegris' products, which protect and transport materials.

SWNTs are an engineering polymer 100 times the strength of steel at less than one-sixth the weight. The cylindrical polymer of pure carbon reportedly conducts electricity like metals and conducts heat better than diamonds.

The partnership is intended to provide customers with leading-edge products and services to help the way they protect and transport critical materials.

Patented process

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—ThermoEnergy Corp. has been awarded another patent for its Enhanced Biogas process (EnBP), a proprietary method of upgrading new or existing wastewater treatment plants to lower ammonia toxicity and optimize biogas production in anaerobic digesters. This second patent provides plant operators using the EnBP process advantages over conventional biological methods.

Digester performance is an important part of wastewater plant operations, and improvements result in benefits to the overall operation. According to the company, combining the EnBP process method with the company's Ammonia Recovery Process system can improve the plant's overall economic performance as well as reduce the total nitrogen discharge limit—a relatively new regulatory problem for municipal wastewater plants.

Discovery District development

TORONTO, Ontario—NPS Pharmaceuticals and VIMAC Ventures plan to locate key business and research facilities to the new Medical and Related Sciences (MaRS) Discovery District biosciences research and commercialization hub in downtown Toronto. The MaRS Center will become the primary location for NPS' research and development activities in Canada, while VIMAC, a venture capital firm active in biosciences, will establish a business office in the center for the firm's VIMAC Milestone Medical Fund.

NPS will initially move approximately 70 researchers into a wet lab facility at MaRS, and plans to eventually add another 50 scientists. To date, 12 organizations have signed agreements to lease almost 600,000 square feet of the 700,000 square feet available in phase one, which is slated to open in March 2005.