The University of Leicester is looking for organisations in the
region to adopt an innovative 'air fingerprinting' device into
their workplace.
The University's Real-time Air Fingerprinting Technology (RAFT)
idea was the first to be posted to the East Midlands Development
Agency's (emda) new, online innovation Exchange (iExchange)
service.
Hosted on the East Midlands Innovation portal
www.eminnovation.org, the iExchange allows businesses, universities
and other organisations to showcase and discuss innovative ideas,
ask for help or find funding and support.
The University of Leicester is looking to generate joint IP to
help exploit commercial opportunities for the RAFT device, which
works like a 'nose' by measuring trace constituents in the air and
creates fingerprints of these complicated compositions, giving
powerful information about gas-phase composition.
Commercial target areas for the RAFT include medical diagnosis
equipment, food analysis, automotive emissions and crime
detection.
Professor Monks, who developed the idea said: "The iExchange is
a unique opportunity to remove barriers between businesses and
organisations that are looking to interact with each other. This is
important when you need to get complex offers, such as RAFT, across
to small companies."
Anjuu Trevedi, Head of Regional Business Engagement at the
University of Leicester said: "The iExchange provides a platform
for the university to reach out and speak to companies, venture
capitalists and business support agencies and connect with people
interested in innovation. The iExchange has the potential to
act as the 'shop window' to innovations in the region and we are
very excited to be the first to take advantage of and benefit from
this new service."
Dr. Martin French, emda's Head of Innovation, said: "It is
important, particularly in this current economic climate, that
companies embrace new ideas, potential partnerships or support
services in order to overcome problems, or become more competitive.
Sixteen ideas have already been posted onto the iExchange so
I am delighted that the University of Leicester, along with some of
the region's leading universities and businesses are already
recognising the value of this new service."
To find out how the iExchange service can work for you, log onto
www.eminnovation.org.uk.