Special Report: Strategic Elements has secured a US patent and presented a physical technology demonstrator to over 300 Printed Electronics industry leaders  as it moves toward a commercialisation pathway.

In the digital age, new and improved ways to add electronic functionality to the transparent and flexible objects and surfaces that surround us is set to revolutionise the electronics industry.

It is not possible to add the building blocks of today’s electronic devices (silicon based memory and logic) to flexible plastic labels, clothes or glass panes as silicon is fabricated using temperatures these materials cannot withstand and is not flexible.

Enter Printed Electronics and the ability to print flexible memory and logic directly onto flexible plastics and other materials at low temperature using coating and printing technologies and inks that contain memory technologies within them.

This creates the ability for companies globally to innovate whole new product applications where electronics can function on flexible plastics and transparent glass materials.

In that context, research and development being carried about by listed venture technology company Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) is particularly exciting.

The company’s fully owned subsidiary – Australian Advanced Materials (AAM) – has hit a number of key milestones with its Nanocube Ink technology.

As part of that process, AAM licensed the IP and has been working with world-leading researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the CSIRO and a team of world leading experts from Finland.

The technology has significant potential across a number of different commercial applications. But AAM has initially focused on providing memory/data storage that can be directly printed onto glass, plastics and other materials.

The Nanocube Memory Ink uses nanotechnology to infuse an ink with the ability to print computer memory cells.

In effect, billions of nanometre-scale particles are combined with electrodes, and when printed onto non-silicon materials the process creates memory cells with significantly enhanced potential for increased data storage capability.

According to Strategic Elements CEO Charles Murphy, exciting developments such as Nanocube Memory Ink have been made possible due to new advances in materials science and nanotechnology.

“A key point to remember is that silicon data storage and memory technologies started out with very low capabilities – such as the printed electronic technology that exists today.

“A significant reason for the explosion in the number of new applications and devices after silicon memory was introduced around 1965 was the increased amount of data storage and ability to do more complex functions as silicon memory and logic was advanced”

“Our goal is to cause a similar explosion in the number of devices and products being developed in the printed electronic industry of today with the introduction of a Nanocube Memory Ink” Murphy told Stockhead.

At the same time, printed electronics is one of the fastest growing technologies in the world and is forecast to be a $US78 billion market by 2023.

AAM’s Nanocube Ink technology is well-suited to developments in printed electronics, “particularly those that benefit from locally stored data”, the company said.

In January this year, the company received a US patent for the development of Nanocube Ink as it relates to the manufacture of RRAM (resistive random access memory) computer chips.

In product testing with UNSW and VTT Finland, AAM recently showcased an application of the Nanocube Memory Ink to store authentication data for use as part of a Transparent Security Access System.

For the year ahead, Strategic Elements is looking to bring more development partners on board and deliver a prototype Nanocube selector with enhanced memory capacity, as it moves towards commercialisation of the technology.

This quest has started out in promising fashion as the Company recently announced it has received strong interest from industry experts and potential partners from the recent launch of its technology demonstrator.

https://youtu.be/S9e-9skrnsU

This story was developed in collaboration with Strategic Elements, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. This story does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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