Science Parks Nanotechnology: The Science Park Perspective
INNOVATION AND NANOTECHNOLOGY In 2006 UKSPA Business Affiliates Marks & Clerk – a leading firm of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys - looked at the importance of technology across many areas of scientific development in their “Nanotechnology Report” and clearly illustrated that the levels of innovation and activity in nanotechnology had risen exponentially in the last five years. The report pointed to the dominance (measured by filing patents and granting patents) of the United States in: n Nanotechnology n Nanoelectrics and n Nanoenergy. Since then, many UK Science Parks - and the companies located there - have built upon the commercially applicable innovations that have emerged from the academic sector and a look at just a sample of activity that is being undertaken throughout the UK illustrates the exciting innovations that are being developed. Many UK Science Parks - and the companies located there - are now building upon the commercially applicable innovations that have emerged from the academic sector to and a look at just a sample of activity that is being undertaken throughout the UK illustrates the exciting innovations that are being developed within the sector FOCUS ON BEGBROKE SCIENCE PARK Dr. Christiane Norenberg, Nanotechnology HEIF Manager at the Oxford University Begbroke Science Park takes a look at some of the nanotechnology activities at the Science Park. The University of Oxford is a long-established and widely recognised centre for nanotechnology research, with a range of projects focusing on nanomaterials, particles, fibres, devices and films 60 success through nanomaterials
and arrays. A significant proportion of this research, particularly that carried out in collaboration with the University’s spin-out companies and other industrial partners, is located at the Begbroke Science Park.
70 scientists before moving to larger premises at the Oxford Science Park in 2009. The company is developing a unique nanopore platform for the detection of biomolecules and sequencing of DNA.
Begbroke Science Park is a pioneering development for Oxford University. It offers a unique environment where world-class scientists work alongside entrepreneurs and colleagues from industry to translate cutting-edge research into commercial opportunities.
Oxford Advanced Surfaces (OAS) and its subsidiary Oxford Energy Technologies (OET), both of which are based at Begbroke, are also using nanotechnology, but in different ways. OAS’s proprietary highly reactive chemistry, ONTO® is used to modify the surfaces of materials to improve their performance in applications as diverse as adhesives, adhesion primers, agrochemicals, semiconductors and composite materials. OET is focussed on the photovoltaic sector and is making a novel anti-reflection coating for application in solar cells using nano-particulate technology. A Technology Strategy Board and company sponsored Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between OAS and Dr Andrew Watt of the University of Oxford on ‘Thin film structures for low-cost solar cells’ is a good example of the close collaboration between companies and University research in nanotechnology at the Begbroke Science Park.
Over the last ten years, a number of nanotechnology companies have started and grown on the park. One of the first was Oxonica, which was founded in 1999 by the present Academic Director of the Begbroke Science Park and Strategic Advisor to RCUK on Nanotechnology, Professor Peter Dobson. It produced nanoparticles for a variety of industrial and consumer applications. For example, Optisol branded products for use in sunscreens are based on doped titania nanoparticles and Envirox, a cerium oxide nanoparticle based product, is added to diesel fuel to reduce carbon particulate emission and improve engine performance. This latter business has now been taken over by another company, Energenics, which continues to be based at the Begbroke Science Park. Oxford Gene Technology, which is now acknowledged to be one of the most successful gene sequencing licensing companies in the world, also established itself at Begbroke in 1999 and continues to base its operations at the site. There are other, more recent examples. Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which was spun out from the University using technology developed by Professor Hagan Bayley started at the Begbroke Science Park in 2005 and grew to employ around
A key to the successful work of research based companies and University research groups at Begbroke Science Park is the availability of the state-of-the-art nanomaterials characterisation services of BegbrokeNano. This commercial service is a branded element of the previously established Oxford Materials Characterisation Service (OMCS) and is operated by Oxford University’s Department of Materials. It is also a UK National Centre for materials characterisation, being part of the UK Technology Strategy Board Open Access Micro-Nano Technology Facilities Network; an infrastructure initiative aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of nano enabled products. High Tech start ups often need support to