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Only one year after successfully launching Expanite’s surface hardening technology for stainless steel in the Chinese market, KERN-LIEBERS and Expanite has signed a joint agreement, which will expand the product offerings available from KERN-LIEBERS´ facility in Taicang, China. The new agreement ensures that all Expanite processes for surface hardening of stainless steel will be available in China from the fall of 2019.

In November 2017, KERN-LIEBERS and Expanite signed the first license agreement which included KERNLIEBERS installing equipment to executing Expanite’s hardening processes for martensitic stainless steels, also referred to as the ExpaniteHigh-T processes, at their Taicang facility near Shanghai, China. Now, approximately one year later, the Parties have agreed to expand the license agreement to also cover Expanite’s processes for austenitic, ferritic and duplex stainless steels, referred to as the ExpaniteLow-T and SuperExpanite processes, and thereby making it possible to offer the complete range of Expanite processes for stainless steel to Chinese and other Asian companies.

“Our China business has had a fantastic start in 2018 and we continue to see tremendous growth potential towards many local and international companies with operations in China. The combination of KERNLIEBERS reputation of supplying parts and heat treatment to the highest quality standards and Expanite’s best-in-class hardening technologies for stainless steel, represents an ideal partnership, which essentially benefits our customers,” Thomas Abel Sandholdt CEO at Expanite explains.

Richard Zhang, CEO of KERN-LIEBERS, Taicang continues, “with extension of our current installation, we will have the capabilities of reaching a much broader range of customers, applications and industries – and we can offer cutting-edge technologies to our customers. We are very proud of being the first in China to have true low-temperature surface hardening solution for stainless steel”.

The new installation is expected to be fully operational during Q4, 2019.

About KERN-LIEBERS

KERN-LIEBERS, a medium-sized family-owned company based in southwest Germany, is a global technology leader for the production of highly complex strip and wire parts, and assemblies. The KERNLIEBERS group of companies develops and manufactures precision products of the highest quality at over 50 locations around the world (www.kern-liebers.com).

About Expanite

Expanite is based on uninterrupted research since 2000 and was founded in 2010 by leading experts in materials and surface hardening. The company is headquartered in Hillerød near Copenhagen and has hardening capacity in the USA, Germany and China. In addition, Expanite's solutions are flexible and can be tailored to be introduced into a customer’s own product line as part of a licensing agreement (www.expanite.com). Contact info If you would like more information about this topic, please contact For KERN-LIEBERS: Richard Zhang, CEO of KERN-LIEBERS in Taicang - richard.zhang@kern-liebers.com.cn, +86 512 5328 3533 For Expanite: Thomas Abel Sandholdt, CEO of Expanite – tsa@expanite.com, +45 20407207.

Expanite announces it has submitted a Master File for Devices (MAF) to the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and has now been issued the submission number MAF3078.

Expanite has successfully submitted a Master File for Devices (MAF) to the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the FDA for SuperExpanite® , their patented process for surface hardening of stainless steel and received an Acknowledgment letter from the FDA confirming submission filing. The MAF covers necessary information such as technology, production processes and facility information, as well as test data and more. The SuperExpanite Master File has been issued submission document control number MAF3078.

“We are very pleased to have achieved this significant milestone. The FDA registration makes it easier for our U.S. customers to obtain approval for new medical products that use Expanite surface hardening. Expanite is now able to provide a signed and named Authorization letter to our customers on their request, for the purpose of their product registrations at the FDA. This is the first of many MAFs to come” says Expanite CEO, Thomas Abel Sandholdt.

Benefits of MAF implementation

The advantages of the MAF being submitted at FDA for the manufacturers who utilize Expanite surface hardening technology and register their products at the FDA are many e.g.:

Expanite, individually, invested time to search and understand the FDA requirements for MAF submission;

Documentation compiled, as required, and submission confirmed by the FDA;

Surface hardening technology documentation available for FDA’s review as of now;

Eliminates communication time and effort between manufacturer and Expanite on MAF build and requirements;

Expanite responsible to maintain MAF up to date, as appropriate.

For the manufacturer‘s medical devices registrations purposes, the SuperExpanite Master File for Devices is now available for reference and review at the FDA. Expanite shall provide MAF Authorization letter on customer requests to make Expanite technical documentation available for FDA’s review in context of their product registration.

Please contact Thomas Abel Sandholdt to hear more about the FDA Master File for Devices, SuperExpanite MAF content and request a signed and named Authorization letter for your product registrations.

About Expanite A/S

Expanite offers state-of-the-art solutions for surface hardening treatment of stainless steels and titanium. With Expanite's processes, it is possible to increase the material’s surface hardness tenfold while at the same time maintaining and even increasing its corrosion resistance. Expanite has a combined development and production facility near Copenhagen, Denmark, and hardening capacity in the US, Germany and China. Expanite's solutions are flexible and can be introduced directly into a customer’s own production line as part of a licensing arrangement. Learn more on www.expanite.com

The transition to cheaper and more environmentally friendly fuels is crucial to the future of the shipping industry, and MAN Diesel & Turbo is a major player in that market.

MAN Diesel & Turbo's newest generation of gasdriven engines already plays a key role in the sector's fuel conversion from oil to alternative energy. When developing the engine, Expanite and MAN Diesel & Turbo collaborated in solving the installation of their gas injection valve in the engine. An important part of the solution came from Expanite - a surface hardening technology that makes stainless steel extremely wear and corrosion resistant.

Per Brandt, manager at MAN Diesel & Turbo, says: “Originally, we had specified a chrome plating in our cylinder cap for mounting our gas injection valve, but it could not always stay tight as there were high requirements for chrome surface quality. We tried unsuccessfully with different solutions. Fortunately, someone had heard about Expanite's surface hardening, and although stainless steel is usually softer than chrome surface, it turned out to be the solution. A design change coupled with Expanite's hardening technology solved our challenge. In cooperation with Expanite we relatively quickly found a hardening that made our surface resistant against scratches and corrosion. The solution passed our test in service where the system remained sealed and tight and in addition the solution was also easy and cost efficient to implement."

A cheaper and greener solution Expanite is a Danish growth company established in 2010 by three experts in materials and surface hardening from the Technical University of Denmark. In short, the technology is a gas-based treatment of the surface of stainless steel or titanium, so that corrosion resistance is improved and the hardness is multiplied (eg up to 1200HV 0.05 in stainless steel). This eliminates wear and galling, and the lifespan of the parts is increased by a factor of ten. "Expanite's processes are significantly more environmentally friendly and sustainable as opposed to chrome baths," Claus Løndal, European Sales Director in Expanite, emphasizes. "With Expanite, we have the opportunity to change the rules and extend the limits for what qualities you can expect from stainless steel. In addition, our solutions have the advantage that the equipment and processes can be easily implemented directly by our customers."

It is expected to be a huge international market for Expanite, which technology is protected by patents. Expanite has already established service centers in Denmark, Germany, the US and China, and customers are today comming from automotive, medical, food and pumps & valves industry, but the demand for more resistant and durable stainless steel products is wide - also in the marine sector. "We have had a very positive beginning with Expanite, and as the equipment is to deliver more and more and is pushed to the limits, the need for extra hardening of vital components will also increase," Per Brandt adds. 

MAN Diesel & Turbo profile The German MAN Diesel & Turbo has roots dating back to the 18th century and is today the world's leading supplier of large diesel engines for the marine and stationary plants. The twostroke engines department is headquartered in Copenhagen, which designs engines and propulsion solutions under the brand MAN B&W. www.mandieselturbo.com

Expanite A/S profile

Expanite is based on uninterrupted research since 2000 and founded in 2010 by leading experts in materials and surface hardening. The company is headquartered in Hillerød near Copenhagen and with hardening capacity in US, Germany and China. In addition, Expanite's solutions are flexible and can be tailored to be introduced into a customer’s own production line as part of a licensing arrangement. www.expanite.com

Contact Thomas Abel Sandholdt, CEO, +45 20 40 72 07, tsa@expanite.com

Westminster, CO, USA - 30 October 2017 – Keystone Tower Systems Inc, a Colorado based technology company, has secured significant growth capital to further support the global roll out of its advanced wind turbine tower manufacturing technology.

Keystone Tower Systems has developed and patented an innovative process for spiral welding conical steel structures, enabling greater production efficiencies. The company is tailoring its spiral welding technology for the production of wind turbine towers. The technology significantly reduces the overall cost of tower manufacturing through increased throughput and lower labor and material costs, resulting in a reduction of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for wind. The first commercial tower production is planned for 2019.

Earlier this year, Keystone partnered with a leading equipment OEM in the steel industry to roll out the technology worldwide. The first phase focuses on licensing its spiral welding technology to existing tower manufacturing plants for conventional dimension towers. In the follow-up phase, they will pursue mobile manufacturing facilities producing large diameter wind towers at the wind farm site, eliminating limitations on the tower diameter imposed by road transport restrictions.

The current investment round is led by a consortium of Keystone’s existing investors together with Finindus, a Belgium based venture capital company funded by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region; the Colorado Impact Fund, a Colorado based fund dedicated to supporting Colorado companies that generate consistent investment returns in addition to positive community impact; and Zoma Capital, the investment arm for the family office of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton, based in Denver, which invests in a broad range of market-based sustainable solutions addressing environmental and social problems.

“We are thrilled to bring onboard incredible partners who will help us accelerate our roll-out plan,” Eric Smith, CEO of Keystone Tower Systems, commented on the transaction.

“Steel and welding technology are at the core of the business of one of our shareholders. It is clear that Keystone Tower Systems is a natural fit within our investment focus,” Hans Maenhout, Investment Director at Finindus, commented.

“The Colorado Impact Fund is excited to support Keystone Tower Systems as it develops and commercializes a world-class technology that will further cement Colorado’s position as a leader in the wind energy sector,” said Scott Reich of the Colorado Impact Fund.

Melissa Cheong, Zoma's Chief Investment Officer, remarked, “We are excited to support an innovative Colorado-based business whose technology has the potential to accelerate the adoption of wind power and expand the geographic reach of renewable energy development.”

ABOUT KEYSTONE TOWER SYSTEMS

Keystone Tower Systems, founded in 2010, is a Colorado based company specializing in innovative wind tower manufacturing technologies. It is the only company in the world with the technology to spiral weld wind towers.

www.keystonetowersystems.com

ABOUT FININDUS

Finindus is a Belgian investment company backed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region. Finindus invests in early stage and growth companies, with a specific focus on materials, material processing and sustainable manufacturing.

www.finindus.be

ABOUT COLORADO IMPACT FUND

The Colorado Impact Fund, founded in July 2014, is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting local Colorado companies that generate consistent investment returns in addition to positive community outcomes. Investors in the Fund include some of Colorado’s most respected executives, families, foundations and corporations, each of whom is committed to making a difference in the State of Colorado and beyond. Targeting investments in the areas of community health, natural resource conservation, education and workforce development and economic development, the Colorado Impact Fund leverages its collective experiences, resources and networks to help Colorado entrepreneurs create exceptional and lasting companies.

www.coloradoimpactfund.com

ABOUT ZOMA CAPITAL

Zoma Capital is the investment arm for the family office of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton, based in Denver. Zoma manages an investment portfolio with strategies in Colorado and in Chile focused on issues of energy, water, community development, workforce development and mental health.

For further information please contact:

Anna Moon, VP of Business Development & Strategy

Email     : info@keystonetowersystems.com

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN OR AUSTRALIA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Midroc New Technology, Fouriertransform and Finindus (the “Sellers”) have sold 5,000,000 shares on a pro rata basis in Powercell AB (publ) ("Powercell") through an accelerated bookbuilding to Swedish and international institutional investors at a price of SEK 93.0 per share (the “Placing”). The price in the Placing is in line with the one month volume weighted average price for Powercell.

Following the placing, the Sellers own 15,835,176 shares in Powercell, corresponding to 30.5% of the total number of shares and votes in Powercell. Subject to customary exceptions or obtaining consent from Carnegie, the Sellers have agreed to a lock-up period of 180 days, in relation to their remaining shares in Powercell.

Carnegie acted as Sole Bookrunner and Pareto acted as Co-Lead Manager in connection with the Placing.

PowerCell and Robert Bosch GmbH have signed an agreement regarding the development, production and sale of the PowerCell S3 fuel cell stack for the automotive segment. The agreement includes a joint development of the S3 and a license whereby Bosch gets the exclusive right to produce and sell the new and improved version of PowerCell S3 for automotive applications such as cars, trucks and buses. 

Bosch will pay PowerCell MEUR 50 (approx. MSEK 530) for the license and a royalty fee for every product sold. 

The MEUR 50 payment will have a positive impact on the operating income for the second quarter 2019.
“By teaming up with Bosch we can achieve a commercial break-through within the automotive industry that would be very hard for us to accomplish on our own”, Per Wassén, CEO of PowerCell said.

The German company Robert Bosch GmbH is the world’s largest supplier to the automotive industry and is developing components for fuel cell systems for automotive vehicles. Bosch has previously received deliveries of PowerCell fuel cell stacks for their systems and in December last year, the parties signed a term sheet regarding a joint development cooperation for PowerCell S3 for the automotive segment. The final agreement includes a joint development of PowerCell S3 and gives Bosch an exclusive, global right to produce and sell the jointly improved version of the PowerCell S3 in fuel cell systems for automotive applications like passenger cars, trucks and buses for seven years following start of production. For these rights Bosch pays PowerCell MEUR 50 (approx. MSEK 530) in a lump sum and, in addition to that, a royalty fee for every product sold during the contract period.
“In the fuel-cell domain, Bosch already has a strong hand, and the alliance with PowerCell makes it even stronger. Commercializing technology is one of our strengths. We are now going to take on this task with determination and develop this market,” says Dr. Stefan Hartung, member of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. 
The current version of PowerCell S3 has a power range of 30-125 kW, runs on pure hydrogen and is based on PEM technology. The PowerCell S3 has world-leading power density and is built with bipolar plates made of steel to be able to withstand and function under rough and varying conditions. 
PowerCell will maintain its rights to commercialize the S3 stack and the jointly developed new version of the S3 in non-automotive applications, like stationary and marine applications, which are not covered by the agreement. The agreement does not cover the fuel cell stack being developed by PowerCell within the German Project Autostack Industrie, ASI, partly founded by the German Government and where PowerCell is one of the partners together with the German OEMs BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen. The agreement also does not cover the PowerCell S2 fuel cell stack. 

Break-through
Bosch operates development and productions facilities globally and has an excellent track record in achieving cost reductions through large-scale production of technologies.
“This agreement gives us an unparalleled possibility to leverage our S3 technology within the automotive industry while at the same time providing us with the resources needed for a successful expansion into other product segments”, Per Wassén, President and CEO of PowerCell said. “PowerCell has a clear mission – to save the planet – and with this agreement we get both the market and financial position needed to continue to leverage our cutting-edge technology commercially.”

Momentous transformation
The automotive industry is coming under increasing pressure to cut emissions of carbon dioxide. Over the last year the EU has imposed new and very strict regulatory demands for CO2 emissions from cars, vans and commercial vehicles like trucks and buses. The EU’s fleet requirements for trucks call for a reduction of CO2 emissions by 15 percent on average by 2025, and 30 percent by 2030. 
“This target can only be met with an increased electrification”, Per Wassén, CEO of PowerCell said. “PowerCell with its leading fuel cell technology can play a decisive role here and the cooperation with Bosch presents us with a tremendous opportunity to bring about the change needed.”

For further information, please contact: 
Per Wassén
CEO, PowerCell Sweden AB (publ)
Phone: +46 (0) 31 720 36 20
Email: per.wassen@powercell.se
This information is insider information that PowerCell Sweden AB (Publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08:30 CET on April 29, 2019.

About PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) 
PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) develops and produces fuel cell stacks and systems for stationary and mobile applications with a world class energy density. The fuel cells are powered by hydrogen, pure or reformed, and produce electricity and heat with no emissions other than water. As the stacks and systems are compact, modular and scalable, they are easily adjusted to any customer need.
PowerCell was founded in 2008 as an industrial spinout from the Volvo Group. The share (PCELL) is since 2014 subject to trade at Nasdaq First North Stockholm. G&W Fondkommission is Certified Adviser, e-mail: ca@gwkapital.se, phone: +46 8 503 000 50.

Bron: ROB TV

Dit weekend gaat de Tour de France van start in ons land, er zullen in de eerste week ongetwijfeld heel wat renners tegen het asfalt gaan en daarbij hun fietskader breken. Als het van het Leuvense bedrijf REIN4CED afhangt is dat volgend jaar niet meer het geval, zij willen tegen dan maar liefst 20.000 onbreekbare carbonframes op de markt brengen.

Bron: De Tijd, 1 juli 2019

'We hebben de heilige graal van de fietsenindustrie gevonden'

De Belgische start-up REIN4CED bouwt nabij Leuven een gerobotiseerde fabriek die jaarlijks 20.000 fietskaders kan maken. ‘Het is de eerste in zijn soort, wereldwijd. We halen jobs terug uit Azië.’

REIN4CED ontwikkelde een composietmateriaal waarmee het de strijd aan gaat met carbon als grondstof voor fietskaders. Het combineert carbonvezels met heel fijne staalvezels. Die zijn op zo’n manier en op strategische plaatsen verweven om het fietskader extra stevig maken.

Eén commerciële deal is al getekend, en nagenoeg alle grote fietsmerken – denk aan Trek, Specialized, Giant, Ridley – zouden in de rij staan om met de Leuvenaars samen te werken, zowel voor racefietsen als mountainbikes. Die namen zal je evenwel niet uit de mond van Callens krijgen. ‘De belangen zijn te groot. Geheimhouding is belangrijk. Wat we doen, is bijzonder disruptief’, klinkt het.

Tom Boonen

Het wondermateriaal is even licht en stijf als carbon, terwijl het de grote zwakte van carbonfietsen aanpakt. ‘Carbonkaders zijn broos en zeer gevoelig. Ze tegen de muur zetten of in een putje rijden lijkt onschuldig maar kan interne scheurtjes veroorzaken. Je ziet die niet en ze kunnen groeien tot je kader plots breekt’, klinkt het. Het gebeurt niet vaak, maar wie aan 50 kilometer per uur op zijn bek gaat, zal het geweten hebben.

Dinsdag, enkele dagen voor de tourstart, ontvangt het bedrijf een 250-tal genodigden om zijn pionierswerk in de kijker te zetten. Ook Tom Boonen zal er zijn, terwijl ondernemer Urbain Vandeurzen de nieuwe fabriek in een toespraak zal bestempelen als een schoolvoorbeeld van de maakindustrie in Vlaanderen.

De productiehal is nu nog leeg, maar de komende weken en maanden worden de machines geleidelijk aan geïnstalleerd, opgestart en uitgetest. ‘Nog voor het jaareinde rollen hier de eerste frames voor verkoop van de band’, maakt Callens zich sterk. Volgend jaar zullen fietsen met REIN4CED-technologie in de winkel staan en misschien al hun intrede doen in het wielerpeloton. ‘Dat zou kunnen’, klinkt het geheimzinnig. ‘Het is alleszins onze ambitie ooit de tour te winnen.’

De finish is eindelijk in zicht, na een lang traject dat begon binnen de muren van de KULeuven. Callens ontwikkelde het composietmateriaal tijdens een doctoraat in elkaar, op het departement Materiaalkunde dat eerder al de basis legde voor de superlichte reiskoffers van Samsonite.

Eerste in zijn soort

Bovendien zette REIN4CED een geheel nieuw productieproces op poten. De fabriek is de eerste in zijn soort. Wereldwijd. ‘De machines die we hier zetten, zijn nog nooit gebouwd. We doen hier nog elke week dingen voor de eerste keer. Dat is best uitdagend’, zegt Dave Luyckx, die tien jaar ervaring heeft in de fietsenbranche bij onder meer Merckx.

De fabriek vergde een ‘grote investering’. ‘Meerdere miljoenen’, zegt Callens zonder veel meer van de interne keuken prijs te geven. Die centen verzamelde het bedrijf bij banken en Belgische investeringsmaatschappijen Gemma Frisius, Finindus en Innovation Fund. Daarbovenop kreeg het bijna 2 miljoen euro subsidies van Vlaanderen.

Jobs uit Azië

De fabriek in Winksele zal de omvang hebben van een middelgrote fabriek in Azie, hét mekka van de wereldwijde fietsenindustrie. ‘Alleen zie je daar 800 à 1.000 arbeiders die manueel lapjes koolstofvezel in de juiste vorm op elkaar leggen. Daarna gaat het de oven in en wordt het gebakken. Wij hebben dat proces geautomatiseerd. In onze fabriek zullen daardoor eens op kruissnelheid slechts 40 à 45 mensen werken. Dat zijn jobs die we terughalen uit Azië. De zoektocht naar operatoren is volop ingezet’, aldus Callens.

De fabriek gevuld krijgen zal volgens Luyckx geen probleem zijn. ‘Ik hoor van velen dat we snel aan de 20.000 stuks zullen zitten’, klinkt het. ‘Maar ik heb een gezonde terughoudendheid, want veel zal afhangen hoe snel we kunnen opschalen. Kinderziektes in het productieproces zijn nooit uitgesloten.’

Of REIN4CED de doodsteek is voor de Aziatische fietsenindustrie? In Europa alleen al worden 1,5 miljoen carbonfietsen per jaar verkocht waarvan de frames nu allemaal in Azië worden geproduceerd. ‘Maar het is een utopie dat we alles naar hier kunnen verleggen’, zegt Callens. ‘Een substantieel aandeel, 500.000 stuks, is wel mogelijk op termijn. In de hogere segmenten zit muziek voor ons. Onze productiekost ligt misschien wat hoger dan in Azië, maar vergeet de logistieke factor niet. Dat speelt bij de merken. Nu moeten ze zes tot acht maanden op voorhand hun productiebestellingen plaatsen. Ze kunnen amper inspelen op de markt, terwijl met e-commerce en directe verkoop aan de eindklant de aanlevertijden steeds belangrijker worden.’

Nog 25 fabrieken

Een half miljoen fietsen? Dat wil zeggen dat er nog 25 fabrieken als deze in het Leuvense op komst zijn? ‘Dat is onze bedoeling. Maar eerst deze fabriek up and running krijgen. Stap voor stap. We zouden het kunnen houden bij wat we hebben en zeggen: het is mooi geweest. Maar deze technologie is zo disruptief dat we groter moeten denken.’

Wat het moeilijkste was in al die jaren, vragen we als afsluiter. ‘Geloofwaardigheid opbouwen’, zegt Luyckx. ‘We stapten naar al die grote merken met de boodschap dat we de heilige graal gevonden hadden. Dat botste op weerstand, op ongeloof, en twijfel. Fairytale is een woord dat ik veel heb horen vallen. Wel, met een brede grijns kunnen we nu zeggen dat we er klaar voor zijn.’

Jan De Schamphelaere, Redacteur Ondernemen

foto:  © Dries Luyten

Silicon photonics based fiber optic sensing allows for highly accurate, small, robust and cost-efficient structural health monitoring and process control

Ghent (Belgium) - September 10, 2018 – Ghent University (UGent) and imec today announced the incorporation of Sentea, a spin-off from their world leading Photonics Research Group. An initial 1.6 million Euro in funding was raised from Fidimec, Finindus, PMV and QBIC II and the founders. Sentea will develop and market advanced silicon photonics based fiber optic sensing solutions. These will be used to continuously monitor engineering structures for signs of damages that over time could lead to catastrophic failure, as well as to control industrial installations to maximize their efficiency.

According to the new market research report from MarketsandMarkets, the structural health monitoring market is estimated to grow from USD 1.48 billion in 2018 to USD 3.38 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 17.93% between 2018 and 2023. The major factors driving the growth of the structural health monitoring market include concerns about catastrophic failure due to aging infrastructures in the developed countries, stringent government regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structures, and the superior benefits of structural health monitoring. Furthermore, the structural Health Monitoring Market for the Energy vertical is expected to grow at a rate of more than 20% from 2018-2023, owing to various applications such as wind turbines, nuclear power plants and hydropower plants.

“Integrating all optical functions into a single silicon photonics component will allow us to make highly accurate, small and robust fiber optic sensor interrogators. Silicon photonics is also very cost-effective, which makes fiber optic sensing affordable for a wide range of new markets and applications and facilitates universal and continues monitoring of structures”, commented Karsten Verhaegen, CEO of Sentea. “Key potential customers have expressed great interest in Sentea’s solutions, stating that better infrastructure lifetime management and process control makes them more competitive in their respective markets.”

“Sentea builds on state-of-the-art silicon photonics technology IP that has been developed at the Photonics Research Group of imec and the UGent for the past 20 years, a technology in which both organizations are perceived as world-leading,” stated Luc Van den hove, president and Chief Executive Officer at imec. “This firm technology base will provide Sentea a kick-start to develop its sensor technology that is answering an existing need in a broad range of market segments.”

To develop its first products and bring them to market, the company raised 1.6 million Euro in funding from a consortium of investors including Fidimec, Finindus, PMV and QBIC II.

About Structural Health Monitoring

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a process in which engineering structures are continuously monitored throughout their lifetime for early signs of damages that over time could lead to catastrophic failure. By detecting any damage early on, and repairing or replacing the damaged part, catastrophic failure and the resulting downtime and huge repair costs can be avoided. A range of SHM solutions, such as fiber optic sensing, have found their way into engineering structures such as wind turbines, nuclear power plants, ships, trains, airplanes, buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, heavy machinery, blast furnaces and so on.

About fiber optic sensing

Fiber optic sensing is a technology where the sensor itself is a specialty fiber designed such that it can sense pressure and temperature at multiple point along the length of the fiber. An interrogator device then captures the signal of the multiple sensing points in the fiber and interprets the signal into pressure, temperature or other derived parameters (e.g. acceleration or vibration). The inherent advantages of fiber optic sensors such as light weight, small size, passive, low attenuation, immunity to electromagnetic interference, wide bandwidth and environmental ruggedness are heavily used to offset their major disadvantages of high cost of the interrogator. Cost reduction of fiber optic sensor interrogators, together with new trends like IoT, big data and industry 4.0 will boost the utility and demand of fiber optic sensing in SHM and process control even further.

About Silicon Photonics

Silicon photonics allows for major cost savings and a significant increase in capabilities in developing and fabricating optical components. The ability to use standard CMOS manufacturing processes makes silicon photonics commercially very attractive. The sub-micron precision of these standard microelectronic CMOS processes allow for silicon photonics components to integrate a variety of optical functions in a very small chip that consumes far less power than traditional optical components. Decades of experience in making (electronic) chips from silicon as well as the installed base of (silicon) semiconductor manufacturing capacity can be leveraged to build highly integrated low-cost optical components for a variety of applications.

About Sentea

Sentea aspires to be a market leader in advanced fiber optical solutions for structural health and process monitoring. The company was incorporated in 2018 as a spin-off of the Photonics Research Group of Ghent University and imec to commercialize more than a decade of research in silicon photonics and fiber optic sensing. Benefitting from the advantages of silicon photonics, Sentea will develop and market fiber optic sensing interrogators that offer high accuracy, small size and advanced functionality, positioned for deployment in a wide range of applications and markets, hence enabling continuous monitoring of structural integrity to become the standard. Sentea is privately held by a consortium of investors including Fidimec, Finindus, PMV and QBIC II.

Contact: Karsten Verhaegen, CEO, e-mail: karsten.verhaegen@senteatech.com

About imec

Imec is the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The combination of our widely acclaimed leadership in microchip technology and profound software and ICT expertise is what makes us unique. By leveraging our world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries, we create groundbreaking innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, energy and education.

As a trusted partner for companies, start-ups and universities we bring together more than 4,000 brilliant minds from over 85 nationalities. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium and has distributed R&D groups at a number of Flemish universities, in the Netherlands, Taiwan, USA, China, and offices in India and Japan. In 2017, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 546 million euro. Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.) and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited), imec Florida (IMEC USA nanoelectronics design center).

Contact: Hanne Degans, Press communications manager, +32 16 28 17 69 // +32 486 06 51 75 // Hanne.Degans@imec.be

About UGent

Ghent University was founded in 1817 and is one of Europe’s leading institutions of higher education and research in the Dutch-speaking region today. It comprises eleven faculties offering education driven by its innovative research in the many scientific disciplines. Located in Flanders, Belgium, the cultural, political, and economic heart of Europe, Ghent University is an active partner in many national and international educational, scientific and industrial collaboration projects.

The Photonics Research Group in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture is one of Europe’s leading groups in the field of photonic integration and silicon photonics. It is associated with imec and hosts 80 researchers including six ERC-grantees. The Photonics Research Group is part of the Center for Nano and Biophotonics – NB-Photonics – a multidisciplinary research and technology transfer platform clustering the resources and knowhow of 23 professors across four different faculties.