Industrial Collaborations

1. Summary

2.  Separations Research Program

Summary

        In order to assure that the CERSP fundamental programs have practical relevance, they are being conducted in cooperation with industrial partners. Fundamentals developed under the auspices of the CERSP will be freely available to these industrial participants as well as other interested firms.  In addition, our weekly seminars & special events are available to Kenan Center members (password protected) on the Internet.  Moreover, our industrial partners have the opportunity to comment and provide practical guidance for our programs at annual meetings and through participation on our External Advisory Board.  These well-established industrial partnerships provide strong outreach to industry, offering potential outlets for technology developed at the CERSP.

We maintain an informal industrial affiliates program.  Industrial affiliates participate gratis in our annual poster session review for NSF as a simple, cost-effective means to maintain contacts. To foster more meaningful collaborations with affiliates a number of major research contracts have been established.  These contracts focus on specific technology of true commercial interest via thematic, one-on-one projects between Center researchers and individual companies. This approach appears to be more satisfying in that the level of funding is adequate without undue time requirements.

Partners and collaborators, at various levels, include DuPont, Nanotex, Micell Technologies, Liquidia Technologies, Stockhausen, Chevron, ExxonMobil, UOP, BP, Coca Cola, Synecor, Tosoh, Prometic Biosciences Ltd, and Arkema. In addition to direct exchange, CERSP participates indirectly.  For example, Liquidia Technologies, a UNC/NCSU based start-up company and one of our partners, has their own partnership with Siemens for making radio-labeled pharmaceuticals for cancer detection using Positron Emission Tomography.  Input from Siemens via Liquidia to CERSP offers industrial commentary related to this area. 

We are also beginning discussions with Nissan and Ballard regarding fuel cell research and with Boeing on nanoimprinting research.  NC State researchers are holding discussions with Genentech, Sandoz, Novozymes, Diosynth, GE Healthcare, Amgen, and Millipore on separations.  We are also in preliminary discussions with Texas Instruments on CO₂-based microelectronics processing.

At UT-Austin the major partner is Dow, both in pharmaceuticals and enhanced oil recovery.   International SEMATECH has funded work in CO₂ applied to microelectronics.  Innovalight, a UT-based start-up company based on synthesis of Si nanocrystals, is also a partner.

Please contact us, if you need more information on collaboration.