Enfucell Ltd. has developed a thin, flexible SoftBattery™ as a power source for applications like cosmetic patches, smart cards, music playing greeting cards, transdermal drug delivery patches, LEDs on paper, electronic paper, bistable displays and mobile sensors with RFID (radio frequency identification). The advantages of SoftBatteries™ when compared to conventional button cells are: extremely low cost, environmentally friendly, landfill safe, flexible size and shape, and easy integration into devices.
“I’m proud to say that we developed SoftBattery™ from scratch, starting in 2003. The new manufacturing method is based on traditional paper printing and lamination technology. Countless hours of testing produced an innovation that is ready for the market”, concludes the company CTO, Dr. Tech. Xia-Chang Zhang, who is the main inventor and developer of the battery.
“Imagine that in a supermarket you just put all of your things into the trolley. You may have bought 50 different food packages and other items. At the check-out you only stop the trolley: every product sends a signal to the reader and you get out after paying. No personnel is needed, and also the theft control is 100 % proof. We bring to the market a battery that makes this possible together with RFID. Application areas for SoftBatteries™ are numerous: for example temperature sensors of frozen food or refrigerator products or tracking deliveries to minimize product loss”, says Enfucell CEO Jaakko Happonen.
“The competition to become a Technology Pioneer has been more intense than ever. It is evident that technology and innovation is playing a key role in the shifting power equation at a global level. Driving this shift is the tremendous amount of innovation taking place outside of traditionally hubs. The wide geographic spread of this year’s Technology Pioneers is a testament to this trend. We are pleased to welcome these exciting companies to our Community of Technology Pioneers, and look forward to engaging these industry leaders of the future into the community of the World Economic Forum”, said Peter Torreele, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum.
To be selected as a Technology Pioneer, a company must be involved in the development of life-changing technology innovation and have the potential for long-term impact on business and society. In addition, it must demonstrate visionary leadership, show all the signs of being a long-standing market leader – and its technology must be proven. Previous Technology Pioneers have included Autonomy, Cambridge Silicon Radio, Encore Software, Google, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Napster.
Go to www.weforum.org/techpioneers/2007 for the entire list of Technology Pioneers and interviews with the CEOs of the selected companies.
Innovation. The company’s technology must be truly innovative. A new version or repackaging of an already well-accepted technological solution does not qualify as an innovation. The innovation should be recent – not more than two years old. The company should invest significantly in R&D.
Potential Impact. This company’s technology must have the potential to have a substantial long-term impact on business and society in the future.
Growth and Sustainability. The company should have all the signs of being a long-term market leader and should have well-formulated plans for future development and growth.
Proof of Concept. The company must have a product on the market or have proven practical applications of the technology. Companies in “stealth” mode and companies with untested ideas or models will not qualify.
Leadership. The company must have visionary leadership that plays a critical role in driving the company towards reaching its goals.
Status. The company must not currently be a Member of the World Economic Forum. This criterion applies to the parent company – thus wholly-owned subsidiaries of large firms are not eligible.
Enfucell Ltd. was founded in 2002 after a decade of research on power sources for low power applications at the Automation Laboratory (Helsinki University of Technology). The company staff today consists of 14 experts with a solid academic background in research and development.
More information: Enfucell Ltd., http://www.enfucell.com CEO Jaakko Happonen, gsm + 358 50 537 5065, email jaakko.happonen(at)enfucell.com CTO Xia-Chang Zhang, gsm +358 50 597 8758, email xiachang.zhang(at)enfucell.com
Go to www.weforum.org/techpioneers/2007 for the entire list of Technology Pioneers and interviews with the CEOs of the selected companies.
For more specific information, please e-mail: tech.pioneers@weforum.org Download print-quality high resolution photographs of the CEOs of the selected companies at: www.pbase.com/forumweb/techpioneers2007