Enfucell wins EU funding as member of Ropas consortium
Lundi, 30 Mai 2011 09:21
The Ropas consortium, consisting of 12 European leading companies in the area of printed electronics, has been granted a 3,3 million euro funding for development of a wireless sensor device on a paper surface which can be manufactured using high-end and low-cost printing techniques. The duration of the project is four years.
Enfucell's portion of the funding is ~210.000 € and its task is to develop and provide the project with tailor-made batteries capable to power the new applications.
The consortium is coordinated by TNO, and other members are:
- Technologically advanced SMEs: Enfucell (printed battery), and MPicoSys (system architecture), who both received awards for innovative strength and S2 Grupo (ICT security);
- SMEs and companies with high potential to market and exploit ROPAS technology: Starcke (security tags), Velpa (smart labels) and ELEP (smart envelopes), Loginle (security shipping) and Oce (printed intelligence);
- High impact RTDs: TNO (sensor development, coating, printing, ICT), VTT (paper modification, intelligent printing processes, enzyme technology), CEA (battery development) and Itene (environmental studies).
The Ropas funding is part of The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which - according to the European Commission's website - bundles all research-related EU initiatives together under a common roof playing a crucial role in reaching the goals of growth, competitiveness and employment; along with a new Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), Education and Training programmes, and Structural and Cohesion Funds for regional convergence and competitiveness. It is also a key pillar for the European Research Area (ERA).
Enfucell Oy
With main focus on printed electronics, Enfucell Oy is a Vantaa, Finland based technology company with its roots in the Helsinki University of Technology, today known as the Aalto University School of Science and Technology. Enfucell has developed SoftBattery®, a thin, flexible 1.5 - 6 V environmentally friendly power source optimally utilized in disposable and short lifetime products. SoftBattery® applications include RFID, micro sensors, displays, OLED, functional packaging & media, cosmetic and pharmaceutical transdermal delivery systems. Enfucell's customers and partners include many of world's largest corporations in their fields.
Enfucell's SoftBattery® technology has been recognized as The Technology Pioneer 2007 by World Economic Forum, The Red Herring 100 Europe in 2007 and The Guardian European Cleantech100 in 2008. In addition, Dr. Xia-Chang Zhang, CTO of Enfucell was appointed as one of ten most influential Chinese in the world in 2007, and nominated as an honorary professor of the East China University of Science and Technology.
Enfucell was founded in 2002 and employs ca. ten people, having also a presence in the United States and France. The largest shareholders are Pontos Oy, AMK-Holding Oy, and Vera Venture, a Finnish governmental venture fund, holding the majority together. Other shareholders consist of Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co., and ca. 10 private shareholders, including Dr. Zhang, a co-founder of Enfucell and the developer of the SoftBattery technology. Enfucell is also financially supported by Tekes, The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. In total Enfucell has raised ca. 7,2 million Euros by May 2011.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Risto Huvila, COO Enfucell, tel. +358 400 755 661, email risto.huvila(at)enfucell.com.