NewSouth Innovations has won federal funding to advance market opportunities for a revolutionary UNSW technology that could lead the next-generation of device manufacturing in the solar, electronics and communication sectors.

 

The breakthrough technology could replace today's expensive robotic assembly methods with cheaper "self-assembling" devices that offer greater flexibility and performance benefits.

 

The Federal Member for Kingsford Smith, Peter Garrett, visited UNSW today to speak with UNSW researchers and congratulate NewSouth Innovations on its successful $44,000 Commercialisation Australia funding application.

 

"This is another ground breaking achievement led by the team at UNSW," said Mr Garrett, who is also Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts. "This is a really significant breakthrough and exactly the type of leadership the Government is looking to support through Commercialisation Australia.

NSi is among the first businesses to receive funding from Commercialisation Australia - the Federal Government's new body to help Australian inventors, entrepreneurs and researchers turn ideas into money-making products and services."

 

Dr Robin Stanley, a Senior Business Development Manager at NewSouth Innovations said he was pleased to receive support from Commercialisation Australia. "The grant will allow us to identify potential partners in North America and Europe to fund further research and, ultimately, license the technology."

 

"Making integrated optical devices from discrete components is difficult and expensive because it requires nanoscale alignment and bonding of incompatible materials," said Dr Peter Reece, a member of the UNSW research team responsible for the new technology.

 

Nanoscale research and manufacturing, sometimes called molecular manufacturing, describes engineering and manufacturing at the scale of molecules and atoms. This kind of research is increasingly inspired by useful, self-assembled structures found in nature that suggest self-assembly can be harnessed and guided as an effective nanofabrication tool.

 

"Our method for constructing optical devices is to coat components with a monolayer of biological molecules that recognise and bond with each other," says Dr Reece, a Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the UNSW School of Physics.

 

"This selective registration, which is essentially a form of 'chemical Velcro', allows the optical device to be self assembled from a suspension of components in a liquid - eliminating the need for expensive coating and robotic manipulation equipment."

 

NewSouth Innovations is one of 21 businesses to share in $9.6 million in the first funding announced for Commercialisation Australia - made recently by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr.

 

More information: www.commercialisationaustralia.gov.au

 

UNSW Research team
This research is lead by Professor Justin Gooding of the UNSW School of Chemistry and Professor Mike Gal of the UNSW School of Physics.

 

 

NewSouth Innovations (NSi), UNSW's commercialisation organisation, manages and owns the intellectual property concerning the use and design of this technology. The intellectual property is protected by Australian and international patents.

 

Media contacts
Jenny Hunter, 02-9349 6007 (Peter Garrett's Office)
Dan Gaffney, 0411 156 015 (UNSW/NewSouth Innovations)
Dr Robin Stanley, 0410 415 074